Thursday, November 10, 2011

China Mine Accident (Thursday, Nov. 10) -- 20 Killed, 23 Still Trapped at Sizhuang Coal Mine in Yunnan Province

BEIJING, China (Nov. 10) – Breaking News: In latest of the accidents in the recent string of mining mishaps; at least 20 miners are reported killed today (Thursday, Nov. 10), Xinhua news agency reported.

The accident took place early today in southwest China causing another setback to China’s huge industry of mining. The accident at the privately run Sizhuang Coal Mine comes days after a rock blast in a coal mine in the central province of Henan trapped dozens of workers underground.

The accident in Yunnan province left around 23 other workers trapped, and it was not immediately clear if they were still alive or not, the official Xinhua news agency said. 

The official China News Service (CNS) said 20 people had been confirmed dead, and that efforts to rescue the remaining 23 from the mine were being hampered by a gas leak.

"Eighteen rescue workers are down in the coal mine, but the high levels of gas could cause an explosion, making it hard to progress with the rescue," Tan Xiaopeng, the head of the local firefighting department, told CNS.

Coal mine accidents are common in China, where work safety is often neglected by bosses seeking a quick profit.
Last year, 2,433 people died in coal mining accidents in the country, according to official statistics -- a rate of more than six workers per day.

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