WORLD BRIEFING / INDONESIA
An explosion ripped through a coal mine in western Indonesia, killing at least 17 people and burying 23 others who were feared dead, officials said today.
Dozens of rescuers tried to reach the trapped men after the Tuesday morning blast, but rock slides and a mix of gas and coal debris forced them to resurface after four hours of digging, said District Police Chief Yasman Esha in West Sumatra province. Four bodies were recovered soon after the blast at the 300-foot-deep mine in Sawahlunto regency on Sumatra island, Esha said. Eight more were pulled out after teams pumped oxygen into the mine shaft to allow rescuers to breathe.
A health official said 16 miners were rescued, but five with severe burns died later in a hospital. Two others were in critical condition, he said.
Police were trying to determine what caused the blast. A preliminary investigation said it was triggered by leaking methane gas.
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