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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, February 08, 2004

Death toll rises to 21 in North China mine blast

Blasts in Shanxi Province that killed 21 persons and left seven missing is caused by illegal mining and scrambling for coal resources, and related individuals are under police interrogation, an official said in Lingshi on Feb. 8.


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Shaft accident in Shanxi Province
Four more bodies were found on Feb. 7 in a deserted shaft in north China's Shanxi Province, putting the death toll to 21.

There was slight chance of survival for the eight others who were still missing in the shaft, said Duan Jianguo, vice secretary-general of Shanxi provincial government.

According to the rescue team, 28 people in Huizu Village entered a deserted shaft on Feb. 4 after one of them found the shaft was connected with a coal mine in a neighboring village. None of them returned ever since.

Investigations by the local police showed several blasts had occurred underground. The owner of the nearby coal mine has been detained, who was suspected of setting explosives at the shaft.


Rescue work underway in mine in Shanxi Province
The owner, Pang Longhu, asked four miners to set the explosives on Feb. 3 and exploded them later. One of them was killed in the blasts and the three others ran away, said police.

Coal scramble
Blasts in Shanxi Province that killed 21 persons and left seven missing is caused by illegal mining and scrambling for coal resources, and related individuals are under police interrogation, an official said in Lingshi on Feb. 8.

The exact cause for the accident is still under investigation, but it can be confirmed by now that the people from the two villages carried explosives when they went underground, said Duan.

In the connecting shaft and coal mine, rescuers found two explosive sites 150 meters apart from each other, which, the police say, might be evidence of at least two blasts underground.

The police said Zeng Yuxiu, head of Huizu Village, got control of the deserted shaft for illegal mining, while the coal mine of Chenjiayuan Village is also an illegal one owned by Pang Longhu.

Zeng is still stranded underground along with six other fellow villagers with little chance of survival, rescuers said.

Pang Longhu has been detained by the police and confessed that he had asked four miners to set illegally-made explosives at the mouth of the shaft Tuesday and detonated them later. One of them was killed in the blast and the three others ran away.

A total of 21 bodies have been retrieved, said Duan, and rescue operations and further investigations are underway.

By People's Daily Online


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