9 killed in Indonesian coal mine explosion

A coal mine explosion in Indonesia’s West Sumatra province killed nine miners, and rescue workers were searching for one missing miner after rescuing two.

An explosion caused by toxic gases containing methane occurred at a mine in the Sawalunto district owned by a private company on Friday as 12 miners entered a pit.

Rescuers were using blowers and exhaust fans to remove air from the mines so they could safely enter the area.

Octavianto, a spokesperson for the local search and rescue agency, who like many Indonesians knows only one name, said, “The team had a hard time finding victims. The location was very accessible. because it was difficult to do,” he said.

A video distributed by the National Search and Rescue Agency showed rescue workers carrying victims on stretchers and supplying them with oxygen from tanks.

Another video showed a yellow body bag being carried out of the pit.

Landslides, floods and tunnel collapses are just a few of the dangers miners face.

In April, an overloaded truck carrying 29 people crashed into a hillside and overturned near an illegal gold mine in Indonesia’s West Papua province, killing 18 and injuring others. .

In Indonesia, another major mining-related accident occurred in February 2019, when a makeshift wooden structure at an illegal gold mine in North Sulawesi province collapsed due to moving soil and numerous mining holes. has occurred.

Over 40 people died and were buried in the mine.