Two children drowned at coal mine pit

Two children were killed after drowning at an ex-mine pit of coal miner PT Bukit Baiduri Energi (BBE) in Tenggarong Seberang District, Kutai Kartanegara Regency, East Kalimantan, Wednesday afternoon, reports said.

Tribunkaltim.co said that the two children, both age 15, were drowned after playing with six others at the pond.

BBE Community Development official Rahman Virliyanto regretted the accident. He said that pit C9, where the accident occurred, had no longer been in operation since 2002, and that the company had put sign board, warning people not to play near the pit.

Azwar, a supervisor at the East Kalimantan administration mining office, said that the ex-mine pit had been turned by the local people into a dam for local irrigation. He added that this has probably caused difficulties for BBE to carry out reclamation at the former mine site.

Tribunkaltim, quoting Jatam, an NGO, said that at least 22 people had been killed at ex-mine sites in the province.(*)