Official probe into fatal gas leak
Source: Xinhua/Shanghai Daily |
October 20, 2010, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AN official investigation has begun into a major coal mine gas leak that killed 37 workers in central Henan Province.
The State Council, China's Cabinet, has approved the setting up of a team, to be headed by Luo Lin, chief of the State Administration of Work Safety, to determine the cause and who was to blame for the tragedy.
Rescuers yesterday recovered the last five bodies of the 37 miners who perished after they were trapped by the gas leak on Saturday at a mine in Yuzhou City.
The bodies were found at 7:35am after 300 rescue workers had dug through 2,500 tons of coal dust to reach them.
An initial investigation found that 173,500 cubic meters of deadly gas leaked out on Saturday when nearly 300 miners were working in the pit. More than 200 miners were able to escape.
The gas wasn't specified, but methane is a common cause of mine accidents.
In Saturday's incident, there was no explosion but mine safety officials' fears that the missing men had suffocated and been buried under coal dust were confirmed.
The mine is owned by Pingyu Coal & Electric Co Ltd, a company jointly established by four investors, including the Zhong Ping Energy Chemical Group and China Power Investment Corp.
There was a similar incident at the mine on August 1, 2008, when 23 people died, Luo said, adding: "This time another incident of more severe consequences happened. It shows the coal mine has major flaws in safety management and measures to prevent gas leaks have not been effectively put in place."
China's mines are the deadliest in the world, with more than 2,600 people killed in coal mine accidents last year alone.
Mining deaths have decreased in recent years as China shut down many illegal mines or absorbed them into state-owned companies, although deaths jumped in the first half of this year.
The State Council, China's Cabinet, has approved the setting up of a team, to be headed by Luo Lin, chief of the State Administration of Work Safety, to determine the cause and who was to blame for the tragedy.
Rescuers yesterday recovered the last five bodies of the 37 miners who perished after they were trapped by the gas leak on Saturday at a mine in Yuzhou City.
The bodies were found at 7:35am after 300 rescue workers had dug through 2,500 tons of coal dust to reach them.
An initial investigation found that 173,500 cubic meters of deadly gas leaked out on Saturday when nearly 300 miners were working in the pit. More than 200 miners were able to escape.
The gas wasn't specified, but methane is a common cause of mine accidents.
In Saturday's incident, there was no explosion but mine safety officials' fears that the missing men had suffocated and been buried under coal dust were confirmed.
The mine is owned by Pingyu Coal & Electric Co Ltd, a company jointly established by four investors, including the Zhong Ping Energy Chemical Group and China Power Investment Corp.
There was a similar incident at the mine on August 1, 2008, when 23 people died, Luo said, adding: "This time another incident of more severe consequences happened. It shows the coal mine has major flaws in safety management and measures to prevent gas leaks have not been effectively put in place."
China's mines are the deadliest in the world, with more than 2,600 people killed in coal mine accidents last year alone.
Mining deaths have decreased in recent years as China shut down many illegal mines or absorbed them into state-owned companies, although deaths jumped in the first half of this year.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
