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'The survival chances are slim'
08/08/2005 13:15 - (SA)
Beijing - Rescuers were on Monday scrambling to save more than 100 workers trapped deep underground in a flooded coal mine in southern China as their chances of survival faded and water levels continued to rise.
The accident happened on Sunday afternoon at the Daxing Coal Mine some 265km northeast of the provincial capital Guangzhou in Guangdong province.
It was unclear how many people were working underground at the time but four miners escaped from the privately-run mine, Xinhua news agency said.
A local official said 101 miners were still trapped and rescue work was difficult as the water level was rising rapidly. He said their chances of being found alive were "slim".
"They are still trying to pump the water out but there is still a large amount of water underground," said the official at in Wanghuai township, Xinging, who refused to give his name.
Gushing water hampers rescue mission
The water accumulated underground has reached between 15 million to 20 million cubic meters, Xinhua news agency reported.
"Objectively speaking, it's very very difficult to pump out all the water because more water is gushing in as some is pumped out," said the official.
"The miners are located 480m underground, the water level is already higher than that. The survival chances are slim."
Mines in the area around Xining city were ordered to close after an accident last month, Xinhua said, without specifying whether the Daxing mine was operating illegally.
Shortly after the accident, President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao urged local officials to "take substantial steps and spare no efforts" to save the trapped miners.
Meanwhile, another mine accident occurred in southwestern China's Guizhou province in the early hours of Monday. One miner was killed and another 12 were trapped underground after an explosion at a coal mine at Liupanshui city.
China's ill-fated mines
China's mines are considered the most deadly in the world, with safety often sacrificed to supply the fuel that is driving the country's rapid industrialisation and economic growth.
The country recorded about 2 700 mining fatalities in the first half of the year from explosions, shaft collapses, fires and other accidents.
Independent estimates say the real figure could be far higher as mines often falsify death counts to escape closures and fines.
In the worst mining disaster in the country's recent history, at least 203 workers were killed after a gas explosion in northeast China's Liaoning province last February.
The coal industry provides 70% of China's energy needs.
Earlier this month China ordered more than 5 000 unlicensed coal mines to suspend operations for safety inspections.
Strong demand for coal and the rising price of oil has encouraged many profit-driven mines to operate illegally even after being ordered to shut down over safety concerns.
- AFP
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