Death toll climbs to 19 in SW China mine explosion

CHENGDU, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in a gas explosion that occurred Wednesday afternoon in a coal mine in southwest China's Sichuan province has climbed to 19, rescuers said Thursday morning.

A total of 107 miners have been rescued, although 28 remain missing, the local rescue headquarters said.

Chinese state television said rescue teams had retrieved the bodies of 19 miners who died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Another three people died in hospital.

A total of 154 miners were working underground at the Xiaojiawan Coal Mine in the city of Panzhihua when the blast occurred around 6 p.m. Wednesday.

The injured have been taken to local hospitals, the headquarters said.

Professional rescue teams from other coal mines in Sichuan have been sent to the accident site.

The coal mine is owned by Zhengjin Industry and Trade Co., Ltd.

The owner of the mine is being questioned by police.

China's mines are the deadliest in the world because of lax enforcement of safety standards and a rush to feed demand from a robust economy. But the death toll from accidents has been falling, government statistics show.

The government work safety watchdog said that 1,973 miners were killed in coal mine accidents last year, according to state media. In 2010, 2,433 people were killed, down from a toll of 2,631 the previous year.

Thursday 30 August 2012

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