Probe into miners' deaths begins

Probe into miners' deaths begins

BOGOR: Local police sent a team on Friday to investigate the
deaths of two illegal gold miners in the Pongkor Mountain gold
mine, operated by publicly listed gold and nickel miner PT Aneka
Tambang (Antam).

The two were found late on Wednesday in Cikoret tunnel in
Bantarkaret village, Nanggung, Bogor, about seven kilometers from
the site where 13 illegal miners died of asphyxiation last week.

Bogor Police chief of detectives Adj. Comr. Ferdy Sambo said
the team was still gathering information on the incident.

A public relations officer of the Pongkor Mountain unit, Ujang
Solihin, told Antara on Friday that the Cikoret tunnel was not
under Antam's operational jurisdiction.

"The incident took place on Tuesday, but they were evacuated
only the next day. Maybe their friends could not help them
immediately because of the lack of oxygen in the tunnel."

The victims, Maman, 32, and Uhay, 30, allegedly died of
asphyxiation. They were staying at the nearby village of Curug
Bitung, but originally hailed from Banten province. -- JP