The bodies of two people missing after a colliery gas explosion
in southwest China's Sichuan Province were recovered on Thursday,
bringing the death toll in Wednesday's accident to 13, local
government said.
The victims were believed to have been killed by poisonous
gas.
"The blast happened when we were changing shifts. I just got a
few dozens meters down the shaft and the ground suddenly trembled,
then there was a wave heat and I had trouble breathing," said Hu
Liangmei, a miner who managed to escape.
"We rushed to the scene and set up rescue teams. In the
afternoon, about 30 rescuers went down the shaft and found the last
victim," said Xiao Ronghua, Party Chief of Luxian County.
It was said that more than 30 miners were working in the pit
when the blast occurred Wednesday evening at the Xinglong Mine in
Luxian County of Luzhou City. Twenty-two workers were treated for
injuries at a local hospital.
"Twenty-one of them who were slightly gassed will recover within
three days. The most seriously poisoned will remain in hospital for
about two weeks, but his life is not in danger," said Zhou Xiaolie,
a doctor with the hospital.
Investigators said the Xinglong mine was a legal, fully
registered county-run mine with annual output of 60,000 tons.
An investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.
(Xinhua News Agency May 25, 2007)