A gas explosion at a coal mine operating without a proper license has killed 29 miners in central China, state media said yesterday, the latest in a series of deadly accidents to hit the industry.
Thirty-five miners were working in the state-owned Xialiuchong Coal Mine in Hengyang, Hunan Province, at the time of the blast, which happened early on Saturday evening, Xinhua news agency said.
The bodies of all the dead had been recovered. Six miners had been rescued and were being treated in hospital to the relief of relatives, who had gathered outside the mine awaiting news.
Photo: AP/XINHUA
The mine, which was owned by the city government, was legally registered, but the provincial government suspended its production license earlier this year for lack of adequate safety measures, state TV said.
The explosion occurred after sparks from machinery ignited flammable gas that had filled the mine, it said.
An official of Hunan’s mine safety bureau declined to comment.
“I can’t tell you anything, because work is still on-going,” he said.
The 40-year-old mine had more than 500 employees. About 160 workers were on shift at the time of the accident, but only 35 were actually underground, state TV said.
More than 40 people were involved in the rescue and recovery operation.
Chinese State Administration of Work Safety Minister Luo Lin (駱琳) and Hunan governor Xu Shousheng (徐守盛) had traveled to the scene to direct the rescue efforts.
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