Search and rescue teams in Indonesia’s West Sumatra province say nine people are dead and at least one person is still missing following an explosion in a coal mine in the town of Sawahlunto.
The mine is located about 90 kilometers northeast of the provincial capital of Padang.
Video from the scene, provided by the Indonesia National Search and Rescue Agency, showed rescue workers carrying survivors out of the mine and putting them into an ambulance.
By midafternoon, a spokesman for the local search and rescue teams told reporters they had rescued four miners and recovered nine bodies. They were still searching for another miner believed to be trapped in the collapsed mine.
The spokesman said rescuers believed the explosion was caused by methane or other natural gases ignited in the mine. He said they used an exhaust blower to clear out the gas to prevent another explosion during rescue operations.
Some information for this report was provided by the Associated Press and AFP.
