China: 17 workers trapped after coal mine accidents

Beijing: A fire broke out in a coal mine in northwest China Sunday while another mine was hit by flooding, leaving 17 workers trapped underneath the ground.

The two accidents hit mines in energy-hungry China`s Heilongjiang Province. A fire broke out in a mine in the Shuangyashan City today when 13 people were working inside. While two were lifted out after the accident, 11 workers still remained trapped. The government said the county`s coal management bureau had ordered the mine to suspend production on Sept 3, after its license expired a day earlier. Illegal production was being blamed for the accident, the government said. Another incident yesterday saw flooding at a coal mine in Jidong County, also in Heilongjiang Province, trapping six miners. Coal mine accidents in China are a common occurrence as mines work overtime to extract coal which continues to be a premium energy resource. PTI