Gas explosion at central China coal mine kills 2, leaves 28 missing

Gas explosion at central China coal mine kills 2, leaves 28 missing

2011-10-30 06:42:53 GMT+7 (ICT)

CHANGSHA, CHINA (BNO NEWS) -- At least two workers were killed on Saturday evening and dozens more remain trapped after a gas explosion ripped through a coal mine in central China, officials said on Sunday.

The accident happened at around 6.08 p.m. local time at the Xialiuchong Coal Mine in Hengyang, the second largest city in the country's Hunan Province. A total of 35 mine workers were working underground when the explosion happened.

Officials from China's State Administration of Work Safety said five miners were rescued from the mine and taken to a local hospital where they are being treated for non life-threatening injuries. Two others were found dead.

A total of 28 people remained missing as of Sunday morning, according to the Administration. It said search and rescue efforts continued throughout the night and were continuing on Sunday morning.

On October 17, thirteen people were killed when a gas explosion ripped through a coal mine in Dashu Township of Fengjie County, which is located in China's Chongqing Municipality.

Safety conditions at mines in China have significantly improved in recent years but they remain among the world's most dangerous with 1,083 fatalities in the first seven months of 2011 alone. There were 2,433 fatalities in 2010 and 2,631 in 2009.

China in recent years shut down scores of small mines to improve safety and efficiency in the mining industry. The country has also ordered all mines to build emergency shelter systems by June 2013 which are to be equipped with machines to produce oxygen and air conditioning, protective walls and airtight doors to protect workers against toxic gases and other hazardous factors.

The first manned test of such a permanent underground chamber was carried out in August when around 100 people - including managers, engineers, miners, medical staff, and the chamber's developers - took part in a 48-hour test at a mine owned by the China National Coal Group in the city of Shuozhou in northern China's Shanxi Province.

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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