Chinese coal mine flood traps 15 workers
News Archive - Coal & Electric Power -September news )
(International Herald Tribune, Sep 14, 2006) BEIJING Rescuers were rushing to save 15 miners trapped after a coal mine flood in northeastern China, state media reported Thursday.
 
There were 19 workers underground Wednesday when the privately-owned Xiren Coal Mine in Jilin province's Tonghua city was flooded with water, the Xinhua News Agency said. Four managed to escape, it said.
 
Yuan Yuqing, deputy director of the Jilin Provincial Coal Mining Bureau was quoted as saying rescuers were hopeful of recovering the miners because they were able to hear their cries for help.
 
Also Wednesday, a gas leak at a mine in north China's Shanxi province killed at least one person, Xinhua said. Rescuers lifted 45 miners from the gas-filled pit at the Danangou Coal Mine in Datong city on Wednesday but one did not survive, it said.
 
It was unclear how many miners had been underground when the accident occurred, it said. Earlier Xinhua reports said only 23 miners were trapped, but more were discovered during the rescue.
 
"We have to make further investigations to see if there are any others still trapped underground," said Zhang Riming, an official in charge of the rescue, was quoted as saying late Wednesday.
 
China's coal mines are the world's deadliest. Thousands of workers are killed each year in near-daily fires, floods and explosions caused by inadequate equipment and lax safety rules.
 
In the first eight months of this year, 2,900 Chinese mine workers were reported killed in 1,824 accidents.
Source:International Herald Tribune
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