ZCZC
BFF-11
CHINA-MINING-ACCIDENT
18 Chinese miners killed in underground gas leak
BEIJING, Dec 5, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Eighteen miners were confirmed dead on
Saturday after a carbon monoxide leak at a coal mine in southwestern China,
state media reported, with rescue efforts under way to reach five others
still trapped underground.
Twenty-four miners were caught up in the accident at the Diaoshuidong mine
in the city of Chongqing after the gas leak occurred on Friday, state
broadcaster CCTV reported.
As of Saturday morning, one survivor and 18 victims had been found, said
CCTV, citing the local emergency rescue command headquarters.
The accident occurred while workers were dismantling underground mining
equipment, CCTV reported. The mine had been closed for the previous two
months.
Investigators were working to determine the cause of the accident, the
official Xinhua news agency said.
An earlier accident at the mine claimed the lives of three people in 2013,
according to Xinhua.
Mining accidents are common in China, where the industry has a poor safety
record and regulations are often weakly enforced.
Sixteen workers were killed at another mine on the outskirts of Chongqing
in September after a conveyor belt caught fire and the resulting blaze
produced dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.
BSS/AFP/SSS/0951 hrs