Race to save last of 21 workers trapped in coal mine in Shanxi
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BEIJING • Chinese rescuers raced yesterday to find the last worker trapped underground in a flooded coal mine after pulling the rest of the group free, as the authorities vowed to crack down on illegal operations that have sprung up in response to price surges.
The 21 miners were trapped when the mine flooded late on Wednesday in Xiaoyi city, in northern China's coal-producing Shanxi province.
Hundreds of rescuers were dispatched to the mine, where three pumps have been used in an attempt to drain the water that has filled the underground pit.
State broadcaster CCTV said rescue efforts were hampered by a narrow and concealed entrance to the illegal mine, as well as the lack of a proper map of the site.
Rescuers managed to lift 20 miners to the surface by early evening yesterday as efforts to save the remaining one continued, state media reported.
Three top Xiaoyi city officials were removed from their posts as a result of the mining accident, the local government announced yesterday.
Seven suspects have been detained over the incident and police said they were searching for others, including the mine's owner, reportedly a local villager who fled after the incident occurred.
China generates about 60 per cent of its energy from burning coal and had ramped up output in recent months to ease an energy shortage that had caused power cuts and forced factories to close.
The authorities said on Thursday that high demand for coal has pushed up prices and cases of illegal mining.
The Work Safety Committee of the State Council and the Ministry of Emergency Management called for coal-producing provinces to investigate illegal mines, saying those involved should face criminal proceedings.
Mining incidents occur frequently in China, where the industry has a bad safety record and regulations are often poorly enforced.
Nineteen miners died after being trapped underground in a single mine collapse in September.
And in January, 11 miners from a group of 22 were dramatically rescued from a collapsed mine in eastern China after they spent two weeks trapped hundreds of metres underground.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
