Gorontalo landslide: Rescue operation wrapped up

Gorontalo, July 15 (ANTARA) - After conducting a week-long search and rescue operation at an unauthorized gold mining pit in Gorontalo that was leveled by a massive landslide on July 7, 2024, rescuers have officially terminated their mission.

The rescue operation was terminated following a meeting between the Bone Bolango district government and the families of 15 missing victims, according to head of the Gorontalo Search and Rescue Agency, Hariyanto.

Speaking from Gorontalo city on July 13, he said that as of the seventh day of the SAR efforts, the total number of those affected by the landslide at the unauthorized gold mining pit in Tulabolo Timur village, Suwawi Timur sub-district, Bone Bolango district, had reached 325.

Twenty-seven of the 325 people were confirmed dead, he added.

A total of 283 people were found alive while 15 others remained missing though a joint team of rescuers worked hard to locate them during their seven-day search operation, he informed.

Despite the official termination of the search mission, the Gorontalo SAR agency and its counterparts have promised to help evacuate bodies of any landslide victims found later, he said.

Meanwhile, the district administration has temporarily banned locals from conducting mining activities at the landslide-hit pit to prevent the recurrence of deadly incidents in the future.

A monitoring post will be built for the purpose in the unauthorized mining pit area, Bone Bolango district head Merlan Uloli said.

Torrential rains lashed several parts of Gorontalo province on July 6, triggering flash floods and landslides.

As a result, several bridges connecting access roads to the gold mining pit, located far from residential areas, collapsed.