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Rescue work continues for 19 miners trapped in Guangxi

RESCUERS are working to remove a buildup of sludge from the primary mineshaft of a coal mine in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, hoping to reach 19 workers who were stranded in the mine after it became flooded and collapsed yesterday.

"The rescue work is moving along at a much quicker pace," said rescue worker Huang Xiangxiong.

However, a round of heavy rains that started at 3:30 pm today may trigger more collapses or floods.

Huang and his colleagues have been working in the mineshaft on rotating 8-hour shifts.

"The density of the toxic gas in the mineshaft remains high, and we have to be wary of more collapses," Huang said.

Huang said that although he and his fellow rescue workers have been able to penetrate as far as 350 meters into the main shaft, they have not yet been able to reach the workers. The miners are believed to be stranded at a location 390 meters underground.

Huang and his colleagues met the surface of the mine's floodwaters when they hit 350 meters. "Our emergency rescue headquarters has laid out a network of 17 drainage pipes. We hope to remove the water soon," Huang said.

The collapse occurred around midday yesterday in the suburbs of the region's city of Heshan. Investigators said the collapse was caused by continuous heavy rains.

Recent downpours forced mining authorities to halt mine operations in the region between June 29 and July 1. Mining operations were resumed yesterday.

Seventy-one miners were in the mine when the collapse occurred. Forty-nine managed to escape, while three others perished in the collapse. The bodies of the dead miners have been retrieved.

Yesterday saw another major mine accident in southwest China's Guizhou Province, where 23 people remain trapped in a flooded mine. Floodwaters continued to pour into the mine today, despite round-the-clock efforts to drain the water.

China's top work safety supervisor yesterday ordered local government departments to severely crack down on illegal production and construction at mines and other work sites to prevent deadly accidents.

The order by the Work Safety Commission of the State Council followed six deadly accidents that left at least 26 people dead in the provinces of Guangdong, Jiangsu, Hunan, Liaoning, Anhui and Shandong.

Local government departments should launch special campaign to check mines, construction sites and other work places and punish those who violate work safety laws and regulations that may lead to accidents, according to a statement posted on the website of the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS) .

The administration urged coal mines across the country to strengthen their anti-flooding measures, particularly during the current flood season.

On June 28, six miners were trapped underground at a coal mine located in the city of Zibo of eastern China's Shandong Province. Rescue efforts are still under way.

On June 21, two separate flooding accident occurred in Fushun City of Liaoning Province and the city of Tongling of Anhui Province, leaving three people dead and three others missing.

On June 20, at least five miners were confirmed dead in a flooding accident at a private coal mine located in the city of Leiyang of central China's Hunan Province.

On June 19, a building collapsed in the city of Wuxi, eastern Jiangsu Province when workers were renovating the dilapidated building, killing 11 people.

On June 17, a cargo vessel blast at a dock in Panyu District of Guangzhou City in southern Guangdong Province had left seven people dead and four others missing.



 

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