Eight trapped in illegal Indonesia gold mine feared dead, says official

Rescuers stand at the entrance of a collapsed mine in Sulawesi, Indonesia, on Thursday. The shouting of trapped miners ceased on Saturda

BANYUMAS, Indonesia (AFP): Eight people trapped in an illegal gold mine on the Indonesian island of Java are feared dead, a local rescue official said Sunday, as search efforts entered a fifth day with little progress.

Unlicensed mines -- many with disregard for basic safety measures -- are common across the mineral-rich South-East Asian archipelago and accidents are frequent.