Indonesia ends mine collapse search

Indonesia ended the search Thursday for victims of last week’s mine collapse on the island of Sulawesi as the death toll climbed to 27, an official said, even as dozens are still feared missing. Rescuers were forced to stop using excavators as conditions deteriorated and it was no longer possible to operate heavy machinery on such unstable ground.

“Our assessment found it is no longer possible to search for the victims because of the possible landslides, it is getting more and more dangerous for the rescuers,” local disaster mitigation agency official Abdul Muin Paputungan said.

“We decided to end the search for the mine collapse victims today.” The remains of 27 miners have been found following the disaster on February 26, while 18 were pulled out alive, Paputungan said.