Beijing: The death toll in an accident-hit
mine in north China rose to 33 after another body of a mssing
miner was recovered on Sunday.
Rescuers are searching for the five miners who remained
missing, in the flooded Wangjialing coal mine in north China`s
Shanxi Province, the rescue headquarters said.
In a miraculous escape, 115 miners were lifted out of the
mine alive on Monday after remaining trapped underground for
more than a week.
They were all in stable condition, said Gao Guoshun,
director of Shanxi`s Health Bureau.
They are receiving medical treatment in five hospitals in
Hejin and Taiyuan cities, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.
A total of 261 miners were working below ground when the
mine was flooded on March 28. Some 108 miners escaped unharmed
while 153 were trapped underground.
Seven of nine working sections had been ruled out for any
survivors and the targeted areas were narrowed down to two
sections, he said.
The mine, which was located between Xiangning County, of
Linfen City, and Hejin City, of Yuncheng City, covers about
180 square kilometers.
The mining zone was estimated to have more than 2.3
billion tonnes of coal reserves, including 1.04 billion tonnes
of proven reserves, according to the company`s official
website.
Coal mines have been turning out to be grave yards for
miners in energy-hungry China which is relying heavily on coal
to fuel its economy.
According to official figures, 2,631 coal miners died in
1,616 mine accidents in China in 2009 which is 18 percent
less compared to previous year.
Most mining accidents in China are blamed on failures to
follow safety rules.
The government has stepped up efforts to improve safety
in the mining industry in recent years, by enforcing
regulations and taking measures to close unregulated mines.
PTI
