Eight people are feared dead after being trapped in an illegal gold mine on the Indonesian island of Java, according to a local rescue official. The search efforts have entered a fifth day with little progress, highlighting the common occurrence of unlicensed mines across Southeast Asia that often disregard safety measures.

The workers were digging in a hole with a depth of 60 meters (200 feet) in Pancurendang village in Central Java when the mine suddenly flooded on Tuesday evening. Despite the deployment of water pumps and efforts to dam a nearby river, the mining shaft remained flooded, making it difficult for rescue teams to retrieve the miners.

Authorities had planned to deploy divers to search for the trapped miners, but the narrow mine shaft made it impossible. Most of the workers had migrated from West Java to work in the region, indicating the lure of mining opportunities in the mineral-rich area. In response to the incident, four people have been charged with operating the illegal mine without a permit, with one suspect still at large.

The charged individuals could face up to five years in prison and fines of 100 billion rupiah ($6.6 million). This is not the first time such a tragedy has occurred in Indonesia. In 2021, six people were killed on Sulawesi Island when an illegal gold mine collapsed. Two years earlier, 16 people lost their lives in a similar incident on the same island.

In 2016, 11 miners died in Sumatra's Jambi province after a mudslide engulfed an illegal gold mine. The incident has raised concerns about the safety and regulation of gold mining in Indonesia. It begs the question of how these mines continue to operate without proper permits and safety measures, leading to repeated tragedies.

The ongoing search for the trapped miners will continue until Tuesday, but the chances of finding survivors are diminishing. These incidents highlight the urgent need for stricter regulation and enforcement to prevent further loss of life in illegal mining operations.