Hundreds of rescuers were sent to the mine, where three pumps were pumping out water.
Beijing:
After two days of dramatic rescue operations, 20 workers were rescued and two bodies were recovered from a flooded coal mine on Friday, officials said.
A massive recovery effort was launched when an illegal mine in northern China’s coal-producing Shanxi province flooded late Wednesday, with officials vowing to crack down on illegal operations in response to price increases.
State media had earlier reported that 21 people were trapped in a mine in the city of Xiaoyi, where hundreds of rescuers used pumps to remove water.
As of Friday evening, 20 miners had been taken to the surface and two had died, China’s Ministry of Emergency Management said in a statement.
“Shanxi Province (should) immediately arrange an investigation and collect evidence, use full efforts to pursue the fugitives and pursue accountability in accordance with laws and regulations,” the ministry said. ,
The local government announced on Friday that three top Xiaoyi city officials had been removed from their posts as a result of the mining accident.
State broadcaster CCTV said the illegal mine’s narrow and hidden entrance hindered rescue efforts, as well as the lack of a proper map of the site.
Seven suspects in the crash have been taken into custody and police said they are looking for others – including the owner of the mine, allegedly a local villager who fled after the accident.
State TV showed orange-clad rescuers wearing hard hats lifting miners on stretchers to ambulances.
China generates about 60 percent of its energy from burning coal, and has increased production in recent months to ease energy shortages that have led to power cuts and forced factories to close.
Officials said on Thursday that high demand for coal has raised prices and cases of illegal mining.
The State Council’s Task Safety Committee and the Ministry of Emergency Management called on coal-producing provinces to investigate illegal mines, saying those involved should face criminal proceedings.
In August, the former mayor of Xiaoei launched a 100-day campaign to crack down on illegal mining carried out by local criminal gangs.
Mining accidents are common in China, where the industry has a poor safety record and regulations are not necessarily enforced.
In September, 19 miners were trapped underground after a single mine collapsed, killing them.
And in January, 11 of a group of 22 workers were dramatically rescued from a collapsed mine in eastern China after they spent two weeks trapped hundreds of meters underground.
China’s mine safety body said last week that better workplace rules meant there had been 336 mine accidents in 2021 so far – 59 fewer than last year.
But it warned of an increased risk of incidents in December as mines sacrifice production safety for the sake of production as the end of the year nears.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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