JAKARTA, Sept 27, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - A landslide at a gold mine in western Indonesia has killed at least 15 people and left dozens missing, the local disaster agency said Friday.

  The landslide hit a remote site in West Sumatra province on Sumatra island Thursday evening after heavy rains in the area, provincial disaster mitigation agency spokesperson Ilham Wahab told AFP.

  "The information we can provide was that a landslide occurred at a gold mine last night, causing several people to be buried. Efforts to search for the victims are ongoing," he said.

  Ilham added that three people were injured and 25 were still missing.

  Unlicensed mines are common across the mineral-rich Southeast Asian archipelago, where abandoned sites attract locals who hunt for leftover gold ore without proper safety equipment.

  Ilham could not confirm if the mine in question was illegal but said all activities at the site had been halted as search efforts for the missing were ongoing.

  Search efforts were being hindered by the remote location, with rescuers including police officers, soldiers and civilians having to walk for hours from the nearest village to reach the area, he said.

  "The location is quite far, the terrain is tough. This has hampered evacuation effort but people are helping so that this evacuation process can be carried out quickly," he said.

  Indonesia is prone to landslides during the rainy season, typically between November and April.

  In July, at least 27 people were killed after a landslide struck near an illegal gold mine on the central Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

  In May, at least 15 people died after landslides and flooding in South Sulawesi province swept away dozens of houses and damaged roads.