Blast in Sichuan coal mine kills 19, traps 28
30 August 2012
A gas explosion at a coal mine in south-west China has killed 19 miners and trapped dozens more, Chinese state media has reported. The blast at the Xiaojiawan coal mine in Sichuan province's coal-rich Panzhihua City on August 29 left 28 miners trapped inside the following day, according to Central China Television (CCTV).
In 2011, 1,973 miners were killed in coal mine accidents in China
Rescuers recovered the bodies of 16 miners who died from carbon monoxide poisoning and three others died in hospital out of a total of 152 miners in the mine at the time of the incident.
Owners of Zhengjin Industry and Trade, the company that owns the mine, were in police custody for investigation, the Panzhihua City government said in a statement posted online.
Coal mine accidents are common in China, where work safety rules are often ignored. Last year 1,973 miners were killed in coal mine accidents in the country, though that was down 19% from the previous year as authorities continue to improve safety.
The state administration of work safety has plans this year to close more than 600 small coal mines considered more dangerous than larger mines.