Indonesian rescuers search dump for buried victims

JAKARTA, Sep 9 (Reuters) Rescuers combed through garbage near the Indonesian capital today in a search for bodies, a day after at least three people were killed when a rubbish dump collapsed.

Police initially said up to 22 people could be buried at the Bantar Gebang dump in Bekasi, east of Jakarta, but today they suggested the number may be lower.

''We will continue the search until we can conclude that there are no more victims,'' Chairul Anwar, the Bekasi police chief, told Reuters. ''It is difficult for us to count how many scavengers there were because they are illegal.'' Bantar Gebang is the main rubbish dump for Jakarta and every day hundreds of people pick through the piles of garbage looking for plastic and other recyclable items that are then sold on to factories.

REUTERS AB RK1118