Xi orders all-out rescue efforts after Inner Mongolia coal mine collapse

BEIJING, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday demanded all-out efforts in the search and rescue of the missing and treatment of the injured after a coal mine collapsed in Alxa League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the instruction following the accident, urging efforts to ensure the safety of people's lives and property, and to maintain overall social stability.

The collapse has so far left two people dead, six injured and 53 missing.

Xi urged efforts to ascertain the cause of the accident as soon as possible and hold the relevant people accountable, while avoiding any loopholes in management.

All regions and related departments should screen for and rectify all types of risks and hidden dangers with a sense of responsibility, enhance prevention measures and ensure strict implementation to better coordinate development and safety, Xi noted.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also made an instruction, requiring the Work Safety Committee of the State Council and the Ministry of Emergency Management to urge all localities to shoulder their responsibilities and implement measures for workplace safety, intensify efforts to rectify major hidden dangers, and resolutely prevent major accidents from happening.

The Ministry of Emergency Management has sent a work team to Inner Mongolia to guide rescue work. On-site rescue work by local authorities is underway.