Coal Mining Accident in China
By: Stephanie Castillo
Updated: November 4, 2011
CHINA -- Four miners were confirmed dead and two injured were
rescued in a rock burst in a coal mine in central China's Henan Province
Thursday evening, while another 55 remain trapped underground.
The two injured miners were lifted up to the ground on Friday morning.
The accident happened around 19:45 Thursday in the Qianqiu Coal Mine in Sanmenxia City, when a total of 75 miners were working in the shaft. Fourteen of the workers had managed to escape and seven have just been found, according to a statement of the Henan Administration of Work Safety.
The State Administration of Work Safety has ordered local authorities to continue verifying the number of miners affected, working out rescue plans and preventing secondary accidents. Its head Luo Lin has arrived at the accident scene together with Henan Governor Guo Gengmao to direct the rescue.
The shaft is about 760 meters deep and the rock burst blocked off the shaft at the depth of about 480 meters, which hampered the ongoing rescue efforts, according to the rescue headquarters.
A 2.9-magnitude earthquake hit Sanmenxia at about 19:18 Thursday, and then a rock burst was reported from the shaft in the Qianqiu Coal Mine, according to the rescue headquarters.
The rescue headquarters has organized miners to dig a temporary tunnel to connect with the one where the trapped miners were stuck, which was expected to be dug through by noon on Friday.
Although the tunnel has been deformed and the communication cut off, the rescuers have managed to locate where the stuck miners are and make sure the ventilation there remains fine. They believe the stranded miners still have chances of survival if they have escaped the deadly hit of coal rocks.
The two injured miners were lifted up to the ground on Friday morning.
The accident happened around 19:45 Thursday in the Qianqiu Coal Mine in Sanmenxia City, when a total of 75 miners were working in the shaft. Fourteen of the workers had managed to escape and seven have just been found, according to a statement of the Henan Administration of Work Safety.
The State Administration of Work Safety has ordered local authorities to continue verifying the number of miners affected, working out rescue plans and preventing secondary accidents. Its head Luo Lin has arrived at the accident scene together with Henan Governor Guo Gengmao to direct the rescue.
The shaft is about 760 meters deep and the rock burst blocked off the shaft at the depth of about 480 meters, which hampered the ongoing rescue efforts, according to the rescue headquarters.
A 2.9-magnitude earthquake hit Sanmenxia at about 19:18 Thursday, and then a rock burst was reported from the shaft in the Qianqiu Coal Mine, according to the rescue headquarters.
The rescue headquarters has organized miners to dig a temporary tunnel to connect with the one where the trapped miners were stuck, which was expected to be dug through by noon on Friday.
Although the tunnel has been deformed and the communication cut off, the rescuers have managed to locate where the stuck miners are and make sure the ventilation there remains fine. They believe the stranded miners still have chances of survival if they have escaped the deadly hit of coal rocks.
