JAKARTA, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Rescuers have pulled out four bodies of miners and are trying to rescue dozens of others who are trapped alive in very tight spots after an illegal gold mine collapsed in central Indonesia, a senior disaster agency official said on Wednesday.
Poor mine infrastructures and the large number of holes dug by miners, coupled with unstable soil condition were blamed for the accident, which happened in the gold mine at Bakan village of Bolaang Mongondow district of North Sulawesi province on Tuesday night, according to national disaster management agency.
"Tens of them are positioned in several very tight spots after the collapse. They are still alive and shouted at rescuers for help," head of emergency unit at the district Abdul Muin Peputungan told Xinhua over phone.
Muin said most of the miners are trapped in the main hole of the mine, but some others in the branches of the hole.
"However, difficulty to access the spots after the collapse has hampered rescuers to rescue the trapped miners," he added.
So far, a total of 17 miners have been rescued alive from the mine, said Muin. Spokesman of national disaster management agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said earlier that 13 of them suffered wounds.
The spokesman said over 60 gold miners were working in the mine when the accident took place.
The government has barred the operation of illegal gold mines, which are usually in small size and situated in remote areas.
