Two coal mine accidents in eastern China kill 10

[News_Editor]

Two coal mine accidents in eastern China kill 10

2011-08-25 21:22:23 GMT+7 (ICT)

HEFEI, CHINA (BNO NEWS) -- Two separate coal mine accidents in eastern China on Thursday have resulted in the deaths of at least 10 people, local authorities said.

The first accident happened at around 4.45 a.m. local time at a coal mine in Huoqiu County in the eastern province of Anhui, local government officials told the state-run Xinhua news agency.

Falling cement from the coal mine's ventilation well, which was under construction, crushed several workers, killing seven and injuring three others. The injured were taken to a local hospital where they are receiving medical treatment, the provincial government said, adding their lives are not in danger.

In a separate incident, the bodies of three workers were found on Thursday afternoon at a coal mine in the city of Ruichang, located in Jiangxi Province, which neighbors Anhui. The victims were found five days after a mine shaft collapsed and trapped several workers.

Safety conditions at mines in China have significantly improved in recent years, but they remain among the world's most dangerous with 2,433 fatalities in 2010 alone, compared to 2,631 deaths in 2009. China in recent years shut down scores of small mines to improve safety and efficiency in the mining industry.

Earlier this month, on August 14, ten people were killed as a result of a gas outburst at a mine in southern China's Guizhou province, according to the State Administration of Work Safety. Others survived the accident.

More than two dozen miners also remain trapped underground after an illegal coal mine flooded in northeastern China on Tuesday,. The 26 workers were still missing as of Thursday evening.

One of the worst mining accidents in China in recent years happened in November 2009 when 104 workers were killed after several explosions at a coal mine in Heilongjiang province.

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