A rock collapse at a limestone quarry in Indonesia on Friday resulted in the deaths of at least eight people, with another 10 missing, according to police.

The incident took place in the city of Cirebon in West Java province at around 9:30 a.m. local time (0230 GMT).

"We are now focusing on evacuating victims. Until now, eight people have been found dead, and 12 others were injured and have been taken to hospitals," a local police chief told AFP.

Television footage showed excavators at the site moving large rocks while rescuers continued to look under debris for survivors.

Why are mines so dangerous in Indonesia?

West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi said that the company operating the mine had been doing so illegally but that safety standards had been lacking.

He said he had ordered the closure of the mine.

"I decided to shut down the pit permanently, not just this pit but also other pits nearby," Dedi told Metro TV.

A similar incident happened at the same mine in February, although no casualties were reported at the time.

Mining accidents are common in Indonesia with safety protocols often being ignored.

Last July, at least 23 people were killed and another 35 were reported missing after a landslide hit a remote village close to an illegal gold mine on the island of Sulawesi.

Edited by: Wesley Dockery