Gorontalo. Rescue workers continued to dig through the earth around a gold mine in a remote district of Gorontalo province on Wednesday, three days after a landslide swept through the area.

The National Police sent a helicopter to the scene in East Suwawa district, Bone Bolango regency, which is inaccessible by motor vehicles, and deployed search dogs to detect survivors beneath the debris.

The operations involve a joint team from the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), the police, the military, and a substantial number of volunteers.

So far, they have recovered 23 bodies and rescued 73 survivors, but around 35 people remain missing.

Mine worker Ridwan Wadjah, a native of Tulabolo village where the mine operates, said he was hit by the landslide debris but escaped with no serious injury.

However, his co-workers Julfit Radjalau and Nopri were trapped inside a tunnel at a depth of 10 meters, and he had to wait until sunrise to rescue them with the help of villagers.

After approximately eight hours, they managed to create an opening with hoes, allowing the two miners to escape.

“The landslide covered only about one meter of the tunnel’s end, so we could still breathe despite the very thin air,” Nopri recalled. “We surrendered to God and prayed for His mercy. We sometimes screamed for help but couldn’t hear anything from the outside.”