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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, November 20, 2001
Trapped Miners ``Still Alive"
Twelve coal miners stranded underground following a gas explosion Saturday morning in north China are thought to be still alive, a rescue official said Monday.
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Twelve coal miners stranded underground following a gas explosion Saturday morning in north China are thought to be still alive, a rescue official said Monday.
The explosion happened at 10:30 in the morning in the Daquanwan Coal Mine, located in Gaoshan Town, Datong City,
Shanxi
Province, when 22 miners were working underground. Eight escaping to the surface, but 14 were trapped.
Two of the trapped men are thought to be dead, as they were working near the explosion site at the time. The other 12 have contacted rescue personnel by phone twice since the accident.
58 Killed in Four Explosions
58 mine workers have died within six days in the series of unrelated gas explosions: a gas explosion took place at 11:40 am last Tuesday in Qingyu Coal Mine, claiming the lives of 11 persons; 33 miners were killed in a major gas explosion at 9:20 pm two days later in Podi Coal Mine; 14 miners are still stranded underground by a gas explosion at 10:00 Saturday morning in Daquanwan Coal; and another 14 miners were confirmed dead in an explosion at around 5:00 Sunday morning in Xiangyu Coal Mine. Rescue work is continuing there, and officials refused to detail the accident or possible death toll.
"Those mines have all been on the government's list to stop production because of their small capacities and flawed safety measures," said Zhao Gejin, an official with State Administration of Coal Mine Safety Supervision. "But coal prices have risen recently, so the mine owners turned deaf ears to government orders.'' Zhao said the average price of coal per ton has risen by 50 yuan (US$6) since cold weather moved into the region.
All Small Mines Ordered to Shut
All small coal mines in Shanxi Province, north China, have been ordered to stop production to undergo safety checks. It has been decided at an emergency teleconference called by the provincial government that none of the mines is allowed to resume production before passing a safety examination, an official said Monday.
Those responsible for accidents taking place in production resumed without authorization will be dealt with harshly, the official said.
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Twelve coal miners stranded underground following a gas explosion Saturday morning in north China are thought to be still alive, a rescue official said Monday.