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Gas explosion claims 8 workers
30/5/2005 11:45

Shanghai Daily news

Two separate coal mine mishaps in southeastern and southwestern China on Saturday killed a total of eight workers, injured four and left 12 others missing.
About 8am, a gas blast rocked a coal mine in Jinsha County, southwestern Guizhou Province, killing eight workers and injuring four others, reported the Guizhou Metropolis Newspaper.
A survivor identified as Li said he heard a bang when he was half way to the bottom of a mineshaft.
Fearing a blast was coming, Li headed back to the surface, but a hot wave knocked him out, according to the newspaper. Li suffered burns on his head.
Another man, surnamed Peng, was in the same hospital. Most of his body was burned due to the blast and a flying chunk of coal damaged his brain.
Peng's life was still in danger, the report said, citing doctors at the Jinsha County Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital.
The condition of the other two survivors - at a different Jinsha-based hospital - was more serious, the paper said. Medical experts from other areas were expected to be sent to Jinsha.
Meanwhile, rescuers in Longyan, Fujian Province, yesterday were trying to reach 12 miners trapped by an underground flood on Saturday morning.
Fourteen men were working in the Chikeng Coal Mine about 9:30am when the flooding occurred. Two escaped. Their injuries were not known.
As of yesterday, rescue workers had not contacted the trapped men.
The government mobilized more than 260 rescuers, including police and medical workers, to the scene.
The facility, located in the city's Xinluo District, produces about 30,000 tons of coal annually, according to authorities. The mine started operation in late 1992.