Miscellaneous

Citation

(2007), "Miscellaneous", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 16 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2007.07316cac.008

Miscellaneous

2 November 2005Gas leak at coal mine, Shanxi Province, China

A Chinese coal mine gas leak has killed 17 people, the latest in a series of fatal accidents. The accident happened on Monday (October 31) in the city of Xinzhou in northern Shanxi province, killing 13 miners working underground. “Management immediately sent a team of six rescuers down the pit, but two of them suffocated,” Xinhua news agency said. Two other miners in a neighbouring pit were also killed, it added. The Fenhemao Coal Mine’s business certificate and production permit had both expired, Xinha said, quoting officials with the Shanxi provincial coal mine safety supervision bureau.

18 November 2005Coal mine, Panlong, Guizhou Province, China

In China, five workers are dead and another 11 are missing after a powerful gas explosion ripped through a coal mine in southern Guizhou province. Officials says 25 miners were working in the shaft at the time of the blast. So far, nine workers have been rescued. The cause of the blast is yet to be determined but the mine had been operating without a safety certificate.

20 November 2005

Rescuers have recovered ten bodies as of today from the site of the latest coal mine gas blast in south-west China’s Guizhou Province, but six people are still missing, according to the provincial work safety supervision bureau. Twenty-five miners were working down the pit when the blast occurred and caused a cave-in early Friday (November 18) at Shagou colliery in Panlong town, in the city of Liupanshui. Nine of them escaped. The chance for the survival of the six missing miners is slim as there is high density of carbon monoxide underground, said experts at the site. Police have arrested the owner of the mine.

22 November 2005China

China has closed nearly 2,000 coal mines since August in a bid to cut the death toll in the world’s most deadly mining industry, the official Xinhua news agency reported today. Work has been suspended at around 13,000 mines, the report said, quoting safety watchdog the National Bureau of Production Safety Supervision and Administration. Explosions, mine collapses and other accidents killed over 6,000 miners last year, and Beijing launched the latest in a series of safety crackdowns after flooding at a mine in southern Guangdong province claimed 123 lives in August. The government has also ordered officials to withdraw all investment from mines to prevent collusion with owners, and demanded that a manager accompany miners underground on every shift to look for potential dangers. But coal provides around three-quarters of China’s electricity, and high prices and booming demand mean many mine owners with an eye on profits ignore regulations, push production beyond safe capacity or re-open illegally after suspension. State media said in August the country had around 24,000 mines, meaning over half are now out of operation. The shutdowns are unlikely to have much impact on output however, because thousands of mines in the massive, fragmented industry produce less than 45,000 tonnes a year and many of the most dangerous mines are among the smallest. Xinhua also reported that over 9,000 mines had been closed since January.

22 November 2005Coal mine, Qinglong County, Guizhou Province, China

An explosion at a coal mine in southern China killed 15 miners and injured three, the Xinhua news agency reported today. The explosion occurred yesterday at the Zhongxing Colliery in Guizhou Province’s Qinglong County, the Xinhua News Agency said. Eight of the 41 miners working underground at the time of the explosion were killed instantly, Xinhua said. Seven others were trapped in the shaft and were presumed dead 20 hours after the blast, it said. The cause of the accident was under investigation.

25 November 2005Flooding in coal mine, Hebei Province, China

Survival chance still exists for 17 miners who were trapped underground in a coal mine flooding accident yesterday in Wu’an City, north China’s Hebei Province, rescuers said on today. At around 1000, yesterday morning, Gaocun Coal Mine at Shangtuancheng Township of Wu’an City was flooded, trapping 17 miners who were working underground. Officials revealed the miners might be able to escape to higher ground in the laneway of the shaft. An initial investigation shows that the 17 miners were in a position 40 metres higher than the flood water level in the laneway, so they still have chance to survive, said the technical staff engaging in rescue work at the site. Currently, rescuers are pumping water out of the laneway and the water level is lowering significantly, rescuers said. The coal mine is a legitimate one with government-issued certificate for mining, the city source said, adding the rescue work is still going on.

26 November 2005

Rescuers searched today for 18 Chinese miners trapped by underground flooding after their bosses fled the scene and abandoned them to their fate, China’s official Xinhua news agency said. Rescuers are hopeful the men at the Gaocun mine in northern China’s Hebei Province may still be alive as water levels have fallen 200 metres since the flood Thursday (November 24), the report said. Police are meanwhile hunting three mine managers who disappeared along with a group of technicians soon after the flood, leaving rescue teams without a guide to the underground warren, it said. The teams had to rely on the memories of other mine workers to negotiate the shaft and tunnels. A weak power supply also prevented the use of powerful pumps, Xinhua said.

3 December 2005Flooding in coal mine, Henan Province, China

Forty-two workers were trapped in a flooded coal mine in central China’s Henan province, the state-run Xinhua news agency said today. A total of 48 miners were working underground when the Sigou coal mine in Shisi township, Xin’an county, was flooded late yesterday. Only six miners managed to escape, the report said.