BEIJING, Jan 13, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Nineteen people were killed while two
remain trapped underground after a roof collapse at a coal mine in northern
China, state media reported.
A total of 87 people were working underground in the Shaanxi province mine
at the time of the accident on Saturday afternoon, official news agency
Xinhua reported, citing local authorities.
The search for the two trapped miners continues while 66 others have been
airlifted to safety, Xinhua reported.
The cause of the accident at the site, run by Baiji Mining, is still under
investigation.
Deadly mining accidents are common in China, where the industry has a poor
safety record despite efforts to improve coal production conditions and crack
down on illegal mines.
In December last year, seven miners were killed and three others injured
in an accident at a coal mine in China’s southwest.
In October, 21 miners died in eastern Shandong province after pressure
inside a mine caused rocks to fracture and break, blocking the tunnel and
trapping workers. Only one miner was rescued alive.
According to China’s National Coal Mine Safety Administration, the country
saw 375 coal mining related deaths in 2017, down 28.7 percent year-on-year.
But despite improvements, “the situation of coal mine safety production is
still grim,” the bureau said in a statement following a coal mine safety
conference last January.