Two coal mine accidents in east and southwest China have left 19
minters trapped underground, official sources said yesterday.
At a coal mine in eastern Jiangxi Province, a gas burst caused a mine to
cave in on seven people trapped beneath it. The accident took place
at around 4.30 PM Thursday at the Jiaxin Coal Mine in Shangtang
County of Fengcheng City.
Rescuers have begun searching for the trapped miners while
officials with the Jiangxi Provincial Administration of Coal Mine
Safety converge on the site.
The Jianxin mine was established in 1958 and has a capacity to
produce 750,000 tons of coal every year.?
Another mine, in southwestern Guizhou Province, collapsed, trapping 12
workers.
The accident took place at around 4 PM Wednesday at the Rongyang
Coal Mine located in Xiashan Town, Xingren County, the Bouyei-Miao
Autonomous Prefecture of Qianxinan City, a spokesman with the
prefecture government said yesterday. This mine ordinarily produces
90,000 tons of coal a year.
The 12 miners were in the process of changing shifts when the
collapse occurred, said the spokesman, who earlier mentioned that
rescuers are struggling to dig a tunnel to reach the trapped miners
in time.
(Xinhua News Agency August 18, 2006)