Padang. At least nine gold miners were killed after a landslide buried workers at an illegal mining site in West Sumatra, police said on Friday.

The landslide occurred around midday on Thursday at an unauthorized mining location in Sijunjung Regency.

“At the time of the incident, nine victims were among 12 mining workers present at the site,” West Sumatra Police spokesperson Susmelawati Rosya said in Padang.

According to police, a hillside cliff located around 30 meters from the mining area suddenly collapsed, burying the workers beneath the debris.

Authorities did not immediately release the identities of the victims.

Susmelawati said police and the provincial government have continued efforts to tackle illegal mining operations, which frequently neglect safety standards.

“This month we also carried out major operations in Sawahlunto, Solok, and Pasaman to crack down on illegal mining activities. We are making every effort, including seeking permanent solutions to address this issue,” she said.

However, she acknowledged that illegal miners often abandon sites before police raids begin and resume operations after authorities leave.

Illegal gold mining remains a persistent challenge in several parts of Indonesia, where unsafe working conditions and weak oversight have contributed to repeated fatal accidents and environmental damage.