8 bodies recovered from gas-blast mine

Source: Xinhua  |   2008-12-22  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

RESCUERS recovered eight bodies of coal miners yesterday, but another 10 were still missing, four days after a coal mine gas blast in central China's Hunan Province.

Three bodies were pulled out of the mine about 2pm. Another five were recovered later at the township-owned Guaziyan colliery in Lianyuan City.

Rescuers said survival chances of the other 10 were slim as a large part of the mine was still blocked and the gas density was high.

"We will continue to search and try to rescue the trapped as long as there remains 1 percent of hope," said Fu Jianhua, deputy head of the State Administration of Coal Mine Safety.

Technicians and more than 50 rescuers are continuing to search for the missing around the clock. Before entering the seam, rescuers needed to reduce the gas density from 3 percent to 1 percent, he said.

Rescuers had cleared a 23-meter section of the mine seam as of 2:30pm yesterday after more than 100 tons of coal were carried out. But another 700 tons were still blocking a 100-meter section, officials said.

The blast occurred at 3:15pm on Wednesday as 32 miners were working. Fourteen managed to escape.

All coal mines in the city halted production for safety checks and an investigation into the cause of the accident was launched.