Two Newcrest workers trapped at Gosowong gold mine

Australian mining firm Newcrest Mining Limited said on Tuesday that two workers are trapped at Kencana underground mining at Gosowong gold mine in Halmahera island, North Maluku province when a movement of ?mudstone? material blocked access to the area.

?Both men are unharmed and contact for the purposes of communication and providing food and water has been established via a number of holes drilled into the area,? the company said in a statement.

The two operators who were working on an excavator and an underground loader in a sublevel of the mine on Sunday afternoon were separated from the main workings when a movement of ?mudstone? material blocked access to the area.

?Progress is carefully being pursued now that contact and reprovisioning has been established. The length of time to effect a full recovery is expected to be several days,? it added.

Gosowong mine is run by PT Nusa Halmahera Minerals, a joint venture between Newcrest and PT Aneka Tambang.(alex)