Il Nuovo Postiglione - Rockfall at Indonesian limestone quarry kills eight

The company overseeing the mine was operating legally but safety standards were lacking, according to West Java governor Dedi Mulyadi, who said he has ordered its closure following the accident.

Workers and heavy equipment were buried when rocks suddenly crumbled at the mining site in the city of Cirebon in West Java province at around 09:30 am local time (0230 GMT).

"We are now focusing on evacuating victims. Until now, eight people have been found dead, and 12 others were injured and have been taken to hospitals," local police chief, Sumarni, who like many Indonesians has one name told AFP.

Rescuers were still scouring the site to find more victims who might be trapped under the debris, deploying excavators for the search effort.

Friday's incident was the second time the quarry collapsed. Parts of the mine collapsed in February but there were no casualties reported.

"I decided to shut down the pit permanently, not just this pit but also other pits nearby," Dedi told Metro TV.

Mining accidents are common across the mineral-rich Southeast Asian archipelago, especially in unlicensed sites where safety protocols are often ignored.

In 2023, eight workers died after being trapped in an illegal gold mine in Central Java.

In July last year at least 23 people died and 35 others were missing when a landslide hit a remote village near an illegal gold mine on the central island of Sulawesi.

E.Spicuzza--INP