JAKARTA, June 17 (UPI) -- The death toll from a mine collapse on Indonesia's Sumatra Island rose to 28 Wednesday as rescuers looked for 14 more trapped victims, authorities said.
The coal mine collapsed Tuesday, triggered by a methane gas explosion, Rustam Pakaya, head of crisis management in Indonesia's health ministry said, CNN reported.
The fate of the remaining 14 miners was not clear but a search for them continued. The mine is in Sawahlunto in West Sumatra province.
"We received reports of the collapsed mine around midday Tuesday (local time)," a member of the Padang search and rescue team said. At the time, 30 people were missing.
Xinhua news agency reported local television footage showed the bodies of the dead were badly burned.
The CNN report said 17 others suffered burns in the explosion and nine remained hospitalized Wednesday.
The Jakarta Post reported rescuers wearing masks were using excavators and wind blowers to reach the victims.
The Sawahlunto area is known for its rich coal deposits, CNN said.
The BBC reported Indonesia is the world's second largest coal exporter after Australia.
