Beijing, Apr 10: At least five miners were trapped underground when an explosion ripped through an illegal coal mine in China today, officials said. The blast occurred in Jixi city of northernmost Heilongjiang province when an unknown number of miners were working underground, local officials were quoted. The owner of the mine, which does not have an operation license from the Satte, fled after the accident, according to the Heilongjiang provincial Coal mine safety supervision authorities.
Rescue work was going on and the cause of the explosion is under investigation. A series of coal mine accidents this year have claimed hundreds of lives in china. Authorities blame most of the accidents to unauthorised mining activities and lax safety standards.
Bureau Report