Death toll rises to ten in NW China coal mine collapse
14/8/2006 14:31
Death toll rose to ten following the collapse of a coal mine shaft in
northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region yesterday, according to local
authorities this morning.
Body of the last victim was recovered at 3 a.m.
Monday.
The accident occurred at 3:10 p.m. in the privately-owned Guangyuan
coal mine in Fukang when the 14 were working underground, said Wu Jiachun,
deputy director of Xinjiang regional administration of coal
industry.
Poisonous gases gushed after the roof of the shaft fell. Nine
miners, suffocated by the gases, were found dead on Sunday.
One seriously
injured man is being treated in hospital. Doctors said that he has not been out
of danger yet.
Local sources said the rest three missing might have slim
chance to survive, but rescue work is still underway.
Wu guessed that the
accident could be caused by landslide triggered by a ceiling collapse in part of
the coal mine, while actual cause is under investigation.
Mine managers were
taken into custody.
The coal mine has a license to produce 30,000 tons per
year, according to Wu.
A memorial stone was just erected in Fukang this past
July by the county's committee of work safety in mourning of the 83 miners
killed by the coal mine gas blast on July 11 last year.
Xinhua
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