Chances of survival are slim for six miners who were left
missing after the roof of a shaft collapsed in a small coal mine in
central China's Hunan Province on Sunday, rescuers said.
The accident took place at around 1 PM on Sunday at Guanyin Coal
Mine of Anping Township, Lianyuan City, when 48 miners were working
in the shaft and 33 managed to escape, said Yan Yinchu, deputy
director of the Provincial Coal Mine Safety Supervision Bureau.
Six miners were confirmed dead in the accident and three others
were rescued and are receiving treatment in a local hospital,
including one with serious gas poisoning. The injured people are
not in danger, doctors said.
But the six missing miners have little chance of survival,
rescuers said, adding that the complicated condition underground
and excess amount of gas had delayed the rescue work.
The mine boss and a few managers fled after the collapse
happened, Yan said, adding that they are trying increasing
ventilation and other ways to lower the density of gas.
Guanyin Coal Mine is a township-administered coal mining venture
capable of producing 30,000 tons of coal annually, but the mine's
work safety license had been revoked before the accident and it has
been ordered to suspend production, local authorities said.
(Xinhua News Agency December 5, 2006)