Miners still trapped, 4 fatalities confirmed<\/p>\n
Theresia Sufa and Tony Hotland , The Jakarta Post, Bogor\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
A rescue team sent by state mining company PT Aneka Tambang
\n(Antam) failed on Thursday to evacuate an unknown number illegal
\nminers trapped inside the company's Mount Pongkor gold mine in
\nBogor regency, due to an abundance of thick, black smoke still
\ninside the mine.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday morning, reports said that dozens of illegal
\nminers entered the mine and tires were set on fire inside to
\nflush them out. Four were confirmed dead. Survivors claimed the
\nfire was lit by Antam workers, a charge which the company denied
\non Thursday.<\/p>\n
"The smoke contains carbon monoxide at a level of 153 parts
\nper million (ppm), much higher than the tolerable level of 25
\nppm," said Abdullah, a rescuer.<\/p>\n
Four people -- three illegal miners and one Antam employee --
\ndied on Wednesday. Six other employees had apparently collapsed
\nbut survived while four others were still missing. The number of
\nillegal miners may be over 100.<\/p>\n
National Police deputy spokesman Brig. Gen. Soenarko, however,
\nsaid that 10 people had died.<\/p>\n
Police and PT Antam had different figures on the number of
\nillegal miners: The police said 200, while the company said 90.<\/p>\n
Police are also investigating the cause of the fire.<\/p>\n
Survivors accused Antam employees of starting the fire, but a
\ncompany official, Iwan Irawan, denied the allegations and said
\nthe illegal miners had been burning logs outside the mine shaft,
\na practice they often did.<\/p>\n
Antam spokesman, Poerwono Widodo, also denied that the blaze
\nwas sparked by PT Antam employees.<\/p>\n
"It is impossible for the employees to have burned something
\ninside the mine. We are not allowed to do that, because of the
\ndanger of smoke inhalation," he said.<\/p>\n
Poerwono also denied some of the survivors' claim that they
\nhad bribed the company's security guards to get in, and added
\nthat they had fired 10 employees for taking bribes in the last
\nseveral years.<\/p>\n
The evacuation of the remaining miners is expected to resume
\nwithin two days.<\/p>",
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