Fire kills, traps Indonesia miners
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JAKARTA, Indonesia (Reuters) -- Scores of illegal Indonesian gold miners were trapped and up to 13 were killed when they were overcome by smoke from tyres that were apparently set on fire to drive them out of the mine, newspapers said on Thursday.
An official of the state company PT Aneka Tambang Tbk (Antam), which owns the mine near the city of Bogor, south of Jakarta, said there had been casualties but did not comment on the reports the tyres had been set on fire.
"We estimated 12 people died. We have evacuated four people but eight are still left inside," said the company official who declined to be identified.
Newspapers put the death toll from from four to 13. They said about 90 miners were trapped.
The reports said the tyres were apparently set alight at the bottom of the mining pit in an effort to smoke out illegal miners.
The Jakarta Post quoted a witness as saying the burning tyres had put out thick, black smoke that had engulfed those inside.
An official at a hospital where some of the survivors and dead were taken said he knew of four people who had been killed. He said there had been a landslide.
Copyright 2004
Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
