Another Coal Mine Disaster Hits China
A deadly coal mine explosion has killed 32 people and trapped others in northern China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region Saturday.
Media reports say the blast took place around noon at a mine operated by the Baoma Mining Co. in the Yuanbaoshan district of Chifeng city.
Around 100 of the miners managed to escape while others were trapped. Initial reports say out of 181 workers who were trapped underground, 149 were rescued. A rescue operation is still underway to look for possible survivors.
In addition, local government is launching a thorough investigation to look for the explosion’s cause. However, Xinhua reported Sunday that “It has been confirmed to be a gas explosion accident.”
China’s coal mining industry is considered to be one of the deadliest in the word.
Coal Mine Explosion is Not Something New in China
This recent coal mine explosion is the second major coal mine accident in the past week. In the first disaster, Chinese authorities confirmed that 21 people died after a coal mine blast in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang.
In the southwestern city of Chongqing, a coal mine blast killed 21 people on Oct. 31.
Coal accounts for almost two-thirds of China’s energy consumption. Due to lenient enforcement of safety standards in its coal mining industry, the likelihood of accidents is high.
The recent surge of mine accidents alarmed authorities to implement strict safety guidelines in the mining industry especially at this time of the year as the communist country is ramping up coal production to meet winter demand.
China’s Coal Mine is Among The World’s Deadliest
China produces more than one-third of annual global coal output. But one of its downsides comes with great cost, as it accounts for more than two-thirds of mining deaths around the world annually.
One of the deadliest coal mining disasters took place in the Benxihu colliery in China that claimed 1,549 lives. Many called the tragedy the worst coal mining disaster ever. The tragedy occurred on 26 April 1942 in the Honkeiko coal mine, located near Benxi in the Liaoning province of China.
