KUCHING, Nov 22, 2014: Initial investigation revealed
that an explosion at a coal mine in Abok, near Pantu this morning, was caused
by sparks from a faulty fan which ignited a gas fire and explosion in the
700-metre long tunnel.
The investigation was conducted by Sri Aman Fire and
Rescue Department, led by its chief Ranger Moos.
Three miners were killed and 24 others were injured, many
with severe burns.
Ranger told reporters at the scene that the investigation
into the explosion has been put on hold until personnel from the Hazardous
Materials Unit (Hazmat) has conducted investigation to determine the safety of
the tunnel.
He said once
Hazmat has confirmed the tunnel is safe, the operations and fire forensics team would enter.
"We want to make sure that there is no gas leakage
and determine the type of gas that had leaked in the tunnel, as well as ensure
that the situation is safe for the forensics team to enter to undertake
investigation," he told reporters at the scene of the incident.
Ranger said he must also obtain confirmation from the
engineer of the coal mining company whether the structure of the tunnel was
affected by the explosion.
"The Hazmat team is expected to arrive at the
location this evening. So, the fire operations team will monitor the location
of the incident and will not allow anyone to enter the tunnel for the time
being," he said.
The mining company is employing 119 workers comprising
Chinese nationals (15), Myanmar (29), Indonesians (19), Bangladeshis (10) and
North Koreans (46).
However, only 27 workers were in the tunnel when the
explosion occurred.
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