REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BENGKULU -- At least three traditional gold miners in the Ketenong Village, Lebong, Bengkulu Province are trapped in an open-pit mine due to landslide that hit the area on Friday night (23/9).
"There are three traditional miners trapped in an open-pit mine," said Bengkulu Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Husni Mahyudin in Bengkulu on Friday.
He said joint teams that comprise of BPBD, Indonesian military, and the local residents were trying to reach the disaster site. The teams have to walk for three hours from the nearest village to reach the landslide area.
However Husni claimed did not know the condition of the victims who were trapped in the mine pit.
Allegedly, landslides caused by heavy rain which occurred the area. "Lebong is dominated with hills and landslide-prone areas," he said.
Lebong Regency is located in the eastern Bengkulu province. The Lebong District is a hilly area in the border of Kerinci Seblat National Park.