A LANDSLIDE triggered by torrential rains has struck an unauthorised goldmining operation on Indonesia’s Sumatra island, killing at least 15 people, officials said today.

Villagers were digging for grains of gold in the remote Solok district of West Sumatra province on Thursday when mud plunged down the surrounding hills and buried them, said Irwan Effendi, head of the local disaster mitigation agency office.

He said at least 25 people were still buried and three people were pulled out alive with injuries by rescuers.