Six people have been killed and 19 others rescued after an illegal gold mine pit collapsed on Indonesia's Sulawesi island, burying dozens of miners.
About 35 miners are still believed to be buried after a wooden platform at the mine in Bolaang Mongondow district collapsed due to unstable soil, local civil protection agency head Abdul Muin Paputungan said.
Rescuers carry a survivor from inside a collapsed mine in Bolaang Mongondow, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, Wednesday Source: AAP
The rescue efforts have been hampered as heavy equipment could not be used on the rough terrain, officials said. Rescuers were forced to desperately dig with their bare hands and farm tools as they unearthed victims.
Police, search and rescue agency workers, military and Indonesian Red Cross personnel were all taking part in the rescue effort.
The mine is about 3000 kilometres north-west of Indonesian capital Jakarta.
The central Indonesian government has banned such small-scale gold mining, although regional authorities often turn a blind eye to the practice in remote areas. With little regulation, the mines are prone to accidents.
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