Beijing, Nov 05: Five workers were confirmed dead and another was admitted to hospital as a result of Monday's carbon monoxide poisoning in a coal mine in northwest China's Gansu province, an official report said today. The accident took place in Wangjiashan coal mine in Jingyuan county, when six workers were examining aeration facilities, Xinhua news agency reported.
The coal mine poisoning case was the second within two weeks in the same county. Another accident killed six workers in the Hongwan village coal mine of Dongsheng township on october 24, but the coal mine owner did not report it to the local authorities.
The local government has ordered the closure of all small coal mines in its jurisdiction and the two accidents are both under investigation.
China's coal mines are notorious for frequent accidents, including gas explosions. Each year, thousands of miners die in mine accidents due to lax safety standards or illegal mining operations.
Bureau Report