China mine shaft death toll rises to 18
CHINA: Three rescuers died in a cave-in on Monday while attempting to
extract the bodies of 15 miners killed in an explosion at a coal mine in
northeast China, Xinhua news agency said on Monday.
The privately owned Changlong mine in Qitaihe, in Heilongjiang, was
operating legally and had an annual production capacity of 40,000 tonnes,
Xinhua said, adding that the cause of Sunday's explosion was under
investigation.
The rescuers were from a professional mining accident rescue team
owned by Longmei Colliery Group in the city. More than 100 rescuers were
involved in the rescue operation, Xinhua said.
China is trying to curtail the grim fatality rate of its mining
industry by shutting down small and unlicensed operators. But even in
many legal mines, overproduction hinders safety.
In the first 10 months of this year, 2,690 Chinese miners died in
explosions, gas leaks, flooding and cave-ins, a drop of 13 percent from
the same period last year, according to the State Administration of Work
Safety.
Beijing, monday, Reuters
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