Published on ShanghaiDaily.com (http://www.shanghaidaily.com/)
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2008/200810/20081031/article_378907.htm
Mine accidents kill 2 and trap 55
Created: 2008-10-31 1:10:10
AT least two miners have been killed and 55 others remain trapped as a result of three separate colliery accidents in China on Wednesday, local authorities said yesterday.
One miner was killed, and 28 others were trapped after a coal mine exploded at 8pm on Wednesday in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. There were 36 people working when the blast occurred at the Yaotou mine shaft in Chengcheng County.
Seven miners escaped. Rescuers found one body yesterday afternoon. They said they expected to find more dead as the mine shaft had caved in, flooded and it's ventilation system shut down.
Rescue efforts are also underway at another mine in north China's Shanxi Province. Seven miners have been trapped underground for more than 24 hours after a colliery flooded at the Qinghai Coal Mining Co, Xiangning County, on Wednesday morning.
A total of 83 rescuers from the ambulance corps and four nearby mines were last night working at the scene, said a Shanxi provincial work safety administration spokesman.
One pump was expelling 63 cubic meters of water from the shaft every hour. Four other pumps were being set up to begin operating today, the spokesman said.
The mine owner's bank account has been frozen by police, which is standard procedure until an investigation has been conducted.
In central China's Henan Province, one person was killed and 20 remain trapped after a coal mine flooded at the Mazhuang colliery in Jiyuan City on Wednesday night. Twenty-eight miners were working below ground. Seven managed to escape.
The pumping efforts had almost ended, Li Tianfu, deputy director of Jiyuan City Coal Industry Bureau, said last night. Nearly 30 rescuers were clearing coal debris accumulated in the shaft. They had to first get through a 70-meter-long shaft section to find the trapped miners, Li said.
"Though the rescue operation faces great difficulties, we will try our best and will never give up," said Shi Jichun, Henan's vice governor.
Fan Xuying, the mine's owner, has been held by police. The licensed mine has an annual production capacity of 150,000 tons. All three accidents happened at small, licensed collieries.
One miner was killed, and 28 others were trapped after a coal mine exploded at 8pm on Wednesday in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. There were 36 people working when the blast occurred at the Yaotou mine shaft in Chengcheng County.
Seven miners escaped. Rescuers found one body yesterday afternoon. They said they expected to find more dead as the mine shaft had caved in, flooded and it's ventilation system shut down.
Rescue efforts are also underway at another mine in north China's Shanxi Province. Seven miners have been trapped underground for more than 24 hours after a colliery flooded at the Qinghai Coal Mining Co, Xiangning County, on Wednesday morning.
A total of 83 rescuers from the ambulance corps and four nearby mines were last night working at the scene, said a Shanxi provincial work safety administration spokesman.
One pump was expelling 63 cubic meters of water from the shaft every hour. Four other pumps were being set up to begin operating today, the spokesman said.
The mine owner's bank account has been frozen by police, which is standard procedure until an investigation has been conducted.
In central China's Henan Province, one person was killed and 20 remain trapped after a coal mine flooded at the Mazhuang colliery in Jiyuan City on Wednesday night. Twenty-eight miners were working below ground. Seven managed to escape.
The pumping efforts had almost ended, Li Tianfu, deputy director of Jiyuan City Coal Industry Bureau, said last night. Nearly 30 rescuers were clearing coal debris accumulated in the shaft. They had to first get through a 70-meter-long shaft section to find the trapped miners, Li said.
"Though the rescue operation faces great difficulties, we will try our best and will never give up," said Shi Jichun, Henan's vice governor.
Fan Xuying, the mine's owner, has been held by police. The licensed mine has an annual production capacity of 150,000 tons. All three accidents happened at small, licensed collieries.
Xinhua
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