Blast At Coal Mine In Northern Mexico Kills 7

[News_Editor]

Blast at coal mine in northern Mexico kills 7 < br />

2012-07-27 08:43:58 GMT+7 (ICT)

SALTILLO, MEXICO (BNO NEWS) -- A gas explosion ripped through a coal mine in northern Mexico on Wednesday morning, killing seven workers underground, state officials confirmed on Thursday. It follows a deadly mine accident which killed fourteen people nearly 1.5 year ago.

The accident happened at around 8:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday when a blast hit the La Florida mine in Muzquiz, a municipality in the northern state of Coahuila. State Public Security Secretary Jorge Luis Moran Delgado said seven bodies were later pulled out of the coal mine.

"Although subject to an investigation by experts, the explosion may have been caused by the accumulation of gas," a spokesperson for the state government said, adding that the victims were about 75 meters (245 feet) underground. He identified the victims as men between the ages of 20 and 39.

The coal mine was operated by El Progreso SA de CV, which was previously inspected by Mexico's Work and Social Welfare Ministry. The ministry had also previously ordered a suspension of activities in at least two of the company's coal mines due to a lack of emergency exits.

In May 2011, fourteen people were killed when a methane gas explosion caused a shallow mine shaft to collapse at a coal mine in the municipality of Sabinas, also located in the northern state of Coahuila. A 15-year-old boy who was also working at the mine was seriously injured and had his right arm amputated.

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