So far there have been three confirmed deaths and 15 people have been rescued.
Rescuers have reported hearing voices from inside the makeshift mine shafts that have been cut into the hillside.
Indonesia’s disaster agency (IDA) said dozens of people were mining when when beams and support boards broke suddenly.
Those trying to reach the trapped miners are being hampered by the treacherous terrain and having to use picks and spades rather than heavy machinery for fear of causing another landslide.
The IDA’s Abdul Muin Paputungan said: “”We are able to detect that many of them are still alive because we can hear their voices, as there are some places where air is getting in and out and there are gaps in the mud.”
The Indonesian government has banned small-scale gold mining, but there is little control, particularly in remote areas and they are prone to accidents.
