Indonesia quarry tragedy: Death toll rises to 18, seven still missing

(AFP): The death toll from a rockfall at a limestone quarry on Indonesia's Java island rose to 18 on Sunday, with another seven people still missing and feared dead, a military official said.

Workers and heavy equipment were buried when rocks suddenly fell at the mining site in the city of Cirebon in West Java province on Friday morning.

The rockfall also injured at least 12 people. "Today, we retrieved one more body, which brings the total death toll to 18 people, while seven more people are still missing," local military chief Mukhammad Yusron told AFP.

"We suspect the missing victims have already died."

Rescuers have deployed excavators and rescue dogs to search for the remaining victims, Mukhammad said.

He said the search operation was challenging and dangerous due to the unstable structures of the rock.

"We must pay attention to the rescuers' safety because there have been more rockfalls during the operation."

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