34 miners killed in Henan coal pit explosion
By Wang Zhuoqiong (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-10-04 07:08

Thirty-four miners were killed in a gas explosion in the early hours of yesterday at a State-owned coal mine in Hebi, a city in Central China's Henan Province.

A miner is saved and lifted out of the coal mine shaft in Xiangtan, Hunan Province December 14, 2004. [newsphoto]

The accident occurred at 4:45 am when 53 miners were working underground at the No 38 pit of Mine 2 of the Hebi Coal Industry (Group) Corporation Ltd, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The 34 miners were found dead after the gas was ignited, while another 19 scrambled to safety.

"Considering the damage of a gas explosion, the possibility of any survivors underground is slim," said a local official, who only gave his surname, Xiao.

Zhao Tiechui, director of the State Coal Mine Safety Supervision Administration, went to the scene yesterday.

Senior provincial government officials, including Henan Provincial Party Secretary Xu Guangchun and Vice-Governor Shi Jichun, also went to supervise the rescue and investigation.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

As the largest State-owned coal mine in Hebi, the company consists of eight production mines and generates an output of more than 7 million tons a year.

Mine 2 has 3,800 employees.

The accident renewed questions over the safety of coal production in Henan Province.

On October 20, 2004, a gas explosion in the Daping Coal Mine of Pingmo County in the city of Xinmi killed 148 people and injured 32.

By August 31, 17 people had been killed this year in 13 accidents in State-owned collieries and small mines in Henan, according to statistics from the provincial Division of the State Coal Mine Safety Supervision Administration.

The latest tragedy came amidst a nationwide crackdown on corruption to prevent rampant coal mine accidents.

In late August, a harshly worded notice ordered local officials and State company executives with investments in coal mines (not including shares in coal-producing public firms) to withdraw their money by September 22.

By September 26, 497 officials and State company executives had withdrawn investments in coal mines.

(China Daily 10/04/2005 page1)

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