Stop-work order for Silantek coal mine - New Straits Times Online
New Straits Times Online, 27 November 2014 - By Goh Pei Pei
KUCHING: THE operator of the Silantek coal mine in Pantu, Sri Aman, has been instructed to cease operations following last Saturday’s explosion, which claimed the lives of four foreign workers.
The order was issued by the state Mineral and Geoscience Department against Lucky Power Strategies Sdn Bhd, the operator of the coal mine.
The mine had been in operation for the past eight years.
In a letter dated Nov 23, the department said the order was issued under Section 21(2)(b) of the Minerals Development Act 1994, which stated that operations at a mineral tenement should cease following any workplace accident.
“Following the occurrence of an accident, resulting in the loss of lives and/or serious injuries, and due to conditions in the tunnel, which is deemed unsafe and may be a source of danger to any employee or person at the mine belonging to Lucky Power Strategies Sdn Bhd; (therefore) on Nov 23, you are hereby ordered to immediately stop all underground mining operations,” said the letter, which was signed by the state Mineral and Geoscience Department (mining) assistant director, who was not named.
“Any appeal against this order shall be made in writing to the Sarawak Mining director,” it said.
State Fire and Rescue Department director Nor Hisham Mohammad said his department had handed the initial investigation findings to the state Mineral and Geoscience Department.
The Sarawak Department of Safety and Health had also deployed a team to check whether there were any irregularities in the mine’s operations under the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994.
Three foreign workers — Indonesian Kardianto, 38; Myanmar national Tun Tun Min, 36; and North Korean Pang Ching Nyok, 29 — died due to suffocation in the 9am incident last Saturday.
The fourth victim, Acmad Zidin, 27, succumbed to injuries at 7pm on Tuesday at Sarawak General Hospital.
Another 30 foreign workers were injured in the incident.
State Health director Dr Zulkifli Jantan said out of those injured, six were in a critical condition.
“The six (foreigners) have problems breathing and are on ventilators (breathing support system),” he told the New Straits Times via a text message.
