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Chinese Premier Orders All-out Effort to Save Trapped Coal Miners
Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji has ordered an all-out effort to save the miners still trapped in a coal mine in east China's Xuzhou City after an explosion Sunday morning.
Vice-premiers Li Lanqing and Wu Bangguo also expressed their concern over the accident.
Wu demanded that experts be rushed to the site to supervise the rescue work from the Xuzhou Bureau of Mines.
He also called Hui Liangyu, secretary of the Jiangsu provincial committee of the Chinese Communist Party, on the phone Monday morning to inquire about the latest progress in the rescue work.
The leaders reiterated that unlicensed coal mines are like time bombs and must be resolutely shut down to safeguard the security of people's lives.
A delegation headed by Zhang Baoming, head of the State Administration of Work Safety had arrived at the site Sunday night.
In the latest development, the rescuers have found the bodies of 16 victims, while 77 miners are still trapped in the coal mine.
The 13 miners rescued Sunday are in sound condition while the efforts to dig out those still trapped are in full swing at press time.
A total of 106 miners were trapped in the mine when the explosion occurred at 9:13 Sunday morning at a small mine run by the Gangzi Village in Jiawang District of Xuzhou City.
A preliminary investigation has found that the mine was shut down by local authorities on June 15 but resumed production on July 15 without approval from the authorities.
The contractor of the mine was detained after the accident.
The case is still under investigation.
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