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14 Miners Trapped in Coal Mine Blast in NW China's Region Confirmeddead

Posted on: Thursday, 6 October 2005, 09:00 CDT

14 miners trapped in coal mine blast in NW China's region confirmed dead

BAICHENG, Xinjiang, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Fourteen miners who have been trapped in a coal mine blast since Tuesday morning in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region were confirmed dead, rescuers said Wednesday.

All of the bodies have been hoisted to the ground and sent to the local hospital, rescuers said.

The victims were from northwest China's Shaanxi Province, southwest China's Sichuan Province and Chongqing Municipality. Their relatives were on the way to Xinjiang, local official said.

Twenty-five miners were working in the coal pit, when the gas explosion took place around 10:47 a.m. Tuesday at a joint-stock coal mine in Yatuer of Baicheng County on the southern slope of Mount. Tianshan.

A total of 14 miners were then trapped underground and 11 others escaped.

The 11 survivors are being treated at the county hospital.

According to Gao Chao of the hospital, the escaped miners were only frightened and slightly poisoned by the toxic gas set off by the gas explosion, they were getting better after treatment and may leave the hospital a few days later.

The local government will further investigate into the accident and prosecute those who were responsible for the accident, the local official with the coal mine safety supervision bureau.

The coal mine is a licensed coal production unit with a designed annual capacity of 30,000 tons. It was contracted to a private businessman two years ago. In accordance with relevant state regulations, the coal mine should be closed at the end of this year.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

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