Dozens killed in China mine blast

06/12/2007| IslamWeb

An early morning gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China has killed at least 40 people and left dozens more trapped underground, Chinese state media has reported.

The blast occurred at a mine in Linfen city, a major coal mining area in northern Shanxi province, the Xinhua news agency said on Thursday.

State television said 13 miners were rescued after the explosion in the Rui Zhiyuan coal mine, but 74 others have been reported missing.

In another incident in nearby Hebei province, at least 11 workers were missing after the entrance to a well in an illegal iron and gold mine collapsed, Xinhua said in a separate report.

The accident occurred on Monday near the city of Chengde, Xinhua said, but did not explain the delay in reporting it.

China's coal mining industry is the most dangerous in the world with an average of 13 people killed by fires, explosions and floods every day.

In August, 181 miners died when heavy rains flooded two mines in eastern Shandong province.

Owners of Chinese coal mines have often been found to ignore safety rules and fail to invest in proper equipment in the quest for profits and the drive to meet the nation's booming energy demands.

Official figures show that more than 4,700 coal miners died in China last year but independent labour groups put the toll at closer to 20,000 a year, saying many of the accidents are covered up.

PHOTO CAPTION

Map of China locating Linfen city in Shanxi province, where an explosion in a coal mine killed at least 40 people and trapped dozens Thursday. [AFP]

Al-Jazeera