Rescuers pull another body from mine<\/p>\n
Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor<\/p>\n
A rescue team from state mining company PT Aneka Tambang (Antam)
\nevacuated another body from inside the Mount Pongkor gold mine in
\nBogor regency on Sunday at 12:45 p.m., bringing the number of
\nrecovered bodies to seven.<\/p>\n
The body of the victim, identified as Jabir, 35, had been
\nlocated on Friday near the exhaust fan at level four of the mine.
\nBut efforts to recover the body had to be halted due to thick,
\nblack smoke containing carbon monoxide.<\/p>\n
The recovery effort on Saturday also had to be halted when the
\ncarbon monoxide level in the mine jumped from 135 parts per
\nmillion (ppm) to 500 ppm. Five rescuers lost consciousness and
\nhad to be taken to the nearest clinic.<\/p>\n
"We have to accept this tragedy," said Jabir's brother, Udin,
\nadding that he had a premonition of disaster before Jabin left
\nfor the mine for the final time.<\/p>\n
"Before he left, he gave me Rp 50,000. It was strange ... he
\nnever did that before."<\/p>\n
The seven fatalities have been identified as Eman, Abas, Oman,
\nIyan Sofyan, Heri Basri, Jabir and PT Antam employee Haris
\nPurwadi.<\/p>\n
The company is using the mine's two main exhaust fans to suck
\nout deadly smoke from the mine to allow rescuers to continue
\ntheir search for bodies.<\/p>\n
Bogor Police detectives chief Adj. Comr. Ferdy Sambo said
\nofficers from the National Police forensic lab team would be
\ndeployed to determine the cause of the fire that broke out at the
\nmine last Wednesday, killing several illegal miners who were in
\nthe shaft at the time.<\/p>\n
Survivors accused the company of causing the fire by burning
\ntires. But PT Antam has denied this allegation, saying it
\nsuspected the illegal miners caused the tragedy by burning logs
\nto prevent Antam employees from approaching the mine.<\/p>\n
Whoever caused the fire, the surviving illegal miners are
\nupset with the company's efforts to recover the bodies of the
\nvictims.<\/p>\n
"The team was busy clearing the smoke. They were afraid of
\nasphyxiation. We were the one who found the bodies of Iyan and
\nHeri (whose bodies were recovered on Friday evening)," said one
\nof the illegal miners, Wawan.<\/p>\n
He added that other miners were ready to assist in efforts to
\nrecover the bodies of their friends.<\/p>\n
"We don't need all the equipment that they use. We can detect
\nthe smoke with our noses."<\/p>\n
Rescuer Fauzi denied the team had been slow in recovering the
\nbodies, saying caution was required because of the deadly smoke
\nin the mine shaft.<\/p>\n
A spokesman for Pongkor, Poerwono Widodo, said Antam would not
\nbe held responsible if the illegal miners insisted on entering
\nthe mine to recover the bodies of their friends.<\/p>\n
It is believed that six people are still inside the mine.<\/p>\n
Iwi, whose sons Yudi and Iwan are among those still believed
\nto be in the mine, has given up hope of seeing his sons alive
\nagain.<\/p>\n
"I know my sons are dead. Whoever was trapped inside that mine
\nis dead. I no longer have hope that they are alive. I just want
\nto bring their bodies home and bury them," said Iwi, himself an
\nillegal miner.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rescuers-pull-another-body-from-mine-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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