All 13 coal mining firms operating in Sawahlunto, West Sumatra, complied with procedures in obtaining their licenses, authorities say, as a recent mine explosion raises questions about safety.

The explosion took place at the PT Dasrat Sarana Arang Sejati mine, killing scores of miners.

Sawahlunto Mining Agency head Syafriwal said Friday the municipal administration had issued mining permits to 13 coal mining firms for open and underground mining, based on the mining law.

"Of 13 firms we granted permits to, only Dasrat is in trouble because its mining site *where the explosion occurred* is situated in a disputed border area," he told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

"The 12 other firms are in order and have always complied with the rules."

The land dispute has been ongoing since 1990, when part of Sawahlunto, including the coal mines in Bual hill, split from the city to form Sijunjung regency, Syafriwal said.

The hill, situated in Sijunjung regency, belongs to Tanjung Ampalu residents, he added.

"People have mined coal illegally at that site. And we've asked them *to comply with the rules* ever since the area was part of Sawahlunto, but they ignored us," he said.

"The site was still being disputed by the Sijunjung regency administration until the West Sumatra administration mediated in the affair."

Local residents laying claim to the area, he said, had since taken advantage of the dispute, ignoring the Sawahlunto administration's rules and even chasing off mining agency officials who came to measure methane levels at the site.

The high level of methane gas at the site was believed to have been responsible for Tuesday's underground explosion that killed at least 31 miners and buried alive 12 others, who are presumed dead.

In 2007, another explosion occurred at the same site, killing three miners, according to Syafriwal.

Police promptly arrested the mine manager, Agustar, while the Sawahlunto Mining Agency recommended the mine's closure.

In December 2008, the Sawahlunto administration handed over the site's management to Dasrat, owned by Meldi, in a mining concession, Syafriwal said.

But that company, he went on, was unable to retain parts of its concession that fell into the hands of local residents.

"We found out recently that Dasrat had signed a written agreement with CV Perdana, owned by Agustar, to act as a subcontractor the mine," he said.

"The agreement stipulated that Perdana carry out the mining and sell the coal to Dasrat, as well as take all the risks inherent in the mining activity."

Syafriwal said the Sawahlunto administration had asked 10 of the city's 13 mining companies to halt operations after the explosion.

Three of the companies - PT Bukit Asam, PT Allied Indo Coal Jaya (AICJ) and PT Usaha Alam Industri - had halted their underground mining activities months ago and currently only carry out only open-pit mining, while preparing machines and tools for further underground mining in the future, he said.

The administration, he went on, would approve future mining operations of any firms that had met safety standards, and would shut down those failing to do so.

Meanwhile, one of nine injured miners being treated at M. Jamil General Hospital in Padang, died Thursday night, bringing the official death toll to 32 people.

The last victim of Tuesday's mine explosion was identified as 19-year-old Nofiardi.

Two of the miners are being treated in the hospital's intensive care unit for severe burn injuries.

Popular

Police thwart smartphone smuggling syndicate from China

Reading the 2026 fuel adjustment: A middle-class story

Inflation won’t stop at pump