The death toll from a coalmine blast in Hebei Province was confirmed as 17 after
rescuers found the bodies of six workers who had been trapped
underground, according to local authorities on Monday evening.
The blast happened at about 5:30 AM on Monday at the state-owned
Shuidong Coal Mine. 96 miners were working underground at the time.
79 people managed to escape, according to the provincial work
safety administration.
Local government said that mishandled mining explosives were
what caused the blast. They ruled out the possibility of a gas
explosion, saying that the blast occurred when miners were changing
shifts and handing over explosives.
Injured miners, five in critical condition, are being treated in
local hospitals.
The shaft where the
blast took place in the right wing of Shuidong
Coalmine.
(Xinhua News Agency July 25, 2006)
