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Another Mine Blast Traps 14 As Chinese Premier Demands Better Safety
Beijing (AFP) Oct 04, 2005 Fourteen miners were Tuesday feared dead after an explosion at a pit in northwest China, a day after a similar tragedy killed 34, prompting Premier Wen Jiabao to demand more attention to safety. The latest disaster in the beleaguered industry occured at the Yatuer Colliery in the Xinjiang region, Xinhua news agency reported. Twenty-five miners were underground when the mine was rocked by a blast, likely a gas explosion. Eleven workers managed to escape, two of whom were injured, leaving 14 trapped, the report said. Two bodies have been recovered and the chances of finding anyone alive were "slim" with noxious gas hampering rescue efforts, Xinhua cited local officials as saying. "Another blast is possible because of thick gas density underground," a rescuer was quoted as saying. "We are taking measures to reduce the density." The tragedy followed a deadly gas blast at a colliery run by the state-owned Henan Hebi Coal company in central China on Monday, which killed 34 people. By Tuesday all the bodies had been found, Xinhua said citing Feng Shubao, head of the rescue team. Investigations into the cause of both accidents were underway, it added. Coal mine disasters in China are commonplace, often because of lax safety procedures. However, a Henan Hebi Coal company official insisted the mine where the blast took place Monday was "up to standard". Wen demanded mine bosses do more to prevent accidents. "Special attention should be paid to workplace safety during the week-long National Day holiday," Xinhua quoted him as saying. He called on workplace safety authorities and industries to "recheck and rearrange safety measures". In recent years Beijing has tried various measures to improve mine safety but they have all been largely ineffective, with figures showing around 6,000 miners die every year through accidents. Independent estimates say the real figure could be far higher. Much of China shuts down during the current National Day holiday week. But the unrelenting demand for coal to drive the country's booming economy and rapid industrialization forces many mines to remain open, around the clock. This voracious demand has made Chinese mines the world's deadliest. Following a spate of serious mine accidents, China in August ordered 7,000 coal mines to suspend operations by the end of the year. However, many profit-driven mines reopen soon after being shut, with local officials bribed to turn a blind eye. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express China News from SinoDaily.com
China Wants To Expand Sino-US Military Relations
Beijing (AFP) Jan 10, 2006China is ready to expand its military relations with the United States, Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan said on Tuesday. |
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