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Thirty-four people trapped in central China coal mine flood

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-11-18 00:22

JIAXIAN - Rescuers said they still have hope of saving 34 miners trapped for almost 16 hours in a flooded coal mine in central China's Henan Province.

Rescuers race against time to search and rescue miners trapped in a flooded Gaomendong coal mineons, Pingdingshan City, Central China's Henan Province, November 17, 2008. 34 people were trapped in this coal mine that flooded early Monday morning. [Xinhua]

"The gas density is low and the amount of flooding was not huge when the accident happened," said Li Hanwei, vice chief of the rescue headquarters. "There is still a chance for the miners to survive."

Rescuers are drilling holes in the ground to try and establish contact and provide to the trapped miners.

The accident happened at about 7:20 a.m. at the Gaomendong Coal Mine in Jiaxian County, Pingdingshan City. There were 42 people working underground when the mine shaft flooded. Only eight escaped safely.

34 miners are believed to be trapped about 800 meters from the pits entrance and 200 to 300 meters underground, Li said.

More than 800 rescuers were clearing silt from a blocked section of the tunnel, which is about 30 meters long, while drilling toward the trapped miners at the speed of 40 meters per hour.

The trapped miners were mostly farmers from surrounding villages. Their families gathered at the scene, waiting anxiously for any news.

The cause of the flooding is being investigated under the supervision of Wang Dexue, deputy director of the national work safety administration.

The Gaomendong Coal Mine is a legal colliery with a designed annual production of 60,000 tons, according to a press release of the provincial government.

Jiaxian is about 200 km southwest of Zhengzhou, the provincial capital. The county is rich in minerals with an estimated coal reserve of about 2 billion tons, according to the county website (www.jiaxian.gov.cn).

There are more than 20 coal mines around the Gaomendong Coal Mine.

This is the third coal mine accident in Henan in less than three weeks.

Two people died and 19 others remain missing after an October 30 mine flooding in the Mazhuang Mine of Jiyuan City. Four government officials, including the deputy director of Jiyuan's industrial and economic development bureau, were sacked over the incident.

Another three miners were confirmed dead in a coal mine collapse in Yiyang County on November 13.

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