Society

13 dead in C China coal mine accident

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-12-07 23:22

ZHENGZHOU - Thirteen people were confirmed dead after a gas explosion at a coal mine in central China's Henan Province, the local work safety chief said Wednesday.

The accident occurred at 7:40 pm Tuesday at a pit of Juyuan Coal Industry Company in Mianchi County, Sanmenxia City, about 300 kilometers from the provincial capital of Zhengzhou.

Zhang Guohui, director of the provincial work safety bureau, told Xinhua that 33 miners were working underground when the blast happened and 20 miners survived.

The mine was previously known as Suzhuang Coal Mine before its recent merger into the state-owned Yi Ma Coal Industry Group. It is under reform and industry re-grouping. The Group has coal mines in five provinces and regions across the country and employs 50,000 workers.

Local media said the mine, which produces 150,000 tons of coal per year, was not allowed to operate during the re-grouping.

Gas explosions, floods and fires were frequent occurrences in China's coal mines, killing hundreds if not thousands of miners each year.

The State Administration of Coal Mine Safety data show deaths from coal mine accidents totaled 3,215 in China in 2008.

Though fewer deaths were reported, the administration did not give specific numbers of coal mine accident deaths in 2009 and 2010.

Coal output reached 2.44 billion tonnes in the first nine months this year, administration data show, as coal remains China's most important source of energy to power its massive economy.