China mine disaster death toll rises to 104
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Pastor Dale Morgan
Nov 23, 2009, 2:28:43 AM11/23/09
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*Perilous Times
China mine disaster death toll rises to 104*
MARIANNE BARRIAUX
November 23, 2009 - 5:19PM
Relatives of victims angrily demanded answers Monday as hopes of finding
more survivors after China's worst mining disaster for two years took a
blow with the death toll rising to 104.
Rescuers recovered 12 more bodies, a spokesman for the mine in
northeastern China's Heilongjiang province said, leaving four miners
still unaccounted for after the weekend blast.
Efforts continued to reach the missing miners with rescuers braving
toxic gases in a desperate search of the mine in the city of Hegang,
said spokesman Zeng Jinguang.
"Rescue operations are still continuing. If we haven't found them yet we
believe they are still alive," Zeng told AFP.
"If there is any chance of finding them, we will not give up."
The gas explosion ripped through the state-run Xinxing mine near the
Russian border early Saturday, the latest tragedy in the country's
notoriously dangerous mining industry.
Smoke could still be seen on Monday billowing out of an entrance to the
mine, one of the largest and oldest in China, as authorities turned to
the task of dealing with relatives.
Zeng said psychologists were being brought in to help survivors and
relatives of victims cope with the disaster.
A group of women waited outside an entrance to the mine office in
sub-zero temperatures, crying and shouting angrily in despair.
"I haven't had any news. My husband was only 42," wailed one of the
women, tears streaming down her face.
A second woman also complained that her family had received no
information about the fate of her younger brother, who was in the mine
at the time of the accident.
"He was my little brother. It's been three days and still we haven't had
any news," she cried.
Chronology: Major accidents in Chinese mines The women, who would not
give their names to AFP, were later escorted into the mine office.
Later, AFP journalists saw a crowd of dozens of people shouting in what
appeared to be a protest in the city.
However, police cordoned off the crowd and authorities prevented
journalists from reaching them. Zeng said the gathering was unrelated to
the disaster.
The accident was the worst in energy-hungry China since an explosion
killed 105 miners in Shanxi province in December 2007, and has reignited
concern over safety and working conditions in the country's mining sector.
China's coal mines are among the most dangerous in the world, with
safety standards often ignored in the quest for profits and the drive to
meet surging demand for coal -- the source of about 70 percent of
China's energy.
Despite a high-profile government campaign to shut down unsafe and
illegal mines throughout the country, hardly a week goes by in China
without reports of deadly accidents that kill scores of mine workers.
Li Zhanshu, Heilongjiang's top government official, called for coal mine
safety to be made a "top priority that we can hang our hearts on and
grasp in our hands."
"We definitely cannot exchange the lives and blood of our workers to
pursue GDP growth," Li, the province's Communist Party chief, said in
remarks posted on the government's website.
Even as rescuers searched the Heilongjiang mine, state-run Xinhua news
agency reported 11 workers had died and three were missing in a similar
blast at a coal mine in central Hunan province.
A total of 528 miners were in the mine in Heilongjiang province when the
blast occurred, according to the State Administration of Work Safety,
and local news reports said the explosion was so powerful it was felt 10
kilometres (six miles) away.
Mine spokesman Zeng said none of the more than 60 people who were
hospitalised after the explosion was in life-threatening condition.
Chinese media reports have quoted survivors saying they were frantically
trying to flee the mine amid a gas build-up when the explosion occurred.
The head, deputy head and chief engineer of the mine, which is run by
the majority state-owned Heilongjiang Longmay Mining Holding Group, have
been removed from their posts, the China News Service had reported.
State media reports also have said an investigation would be launched
into whether negligence played a part in the disaster.
Official figures show that more than 3,200 workers died in coal mines
last year. But independent labour groups say many more deaths are
covered up.
China mine disaster death toll rises to 104*
MARIANNE BARRIAUX
November 23, 2009 - 5:19PM
Relatives of victims angrily demanded answers Monday as hopes of finding
more survivors after China's worst mining disaster for two years took a
blow with the death toll rising to 104.
Rescuers recovered 12 more bodies, a spokesman for the mine in
northeastern China's Heilongjiang province said, leaving four miners
still unaccounted for after the weekend blast.
Efforts continued to reach the missing miners with rescuers braving
toxic gases in a desperate search of the mine in the city of Hegang,
said spokesman Zeng Jinguang.
"Rescue operations are still continuing. If we haven't found them yet we
believe they are still alive," Zeng told AFP.
"If there is any chance of finding them, we will not give up."
The gas explosion ripped through the state-run Xinxing mine near the
Russian border early Saturday, the latest tragedy in the country's
notoriously dangerous mining industry.
Smoke could still be seen on Monday billowing out of an entrance to the
mine, one of the largest and oldest in China, as authorities turned to
the task of dealing with relatives.
Zeng said psychologists were being brought in to help survivors and
relatives of victims cope with the disaster.
A group of women waited outside an entrance to the mine office in
sub-zero temperatures, crying and shouting angrily in despair.
"I haven't had any news. My husband was only 42," wailed one of the
women, tears streaming down her face.
A second woman also complained that her family had received no
information about the fate of her younger brother, who was in the mine
at the time of the accident.
"He was my little brother. It's been three days and still we haven't had
any news," she cried.
Chronology: Major accidents in Chinese mines The women, who would not
give their names to AFP, were later escorted into the mine office.
Later, AFP journalists saw a crowd of dozens of people shouting in what
appeared to be a protest in the city.
However, police cordoned off the crowd and authorities prevented
journalists from reaching them. Zeng said the gathering was unrelated to
the disaster.
The accident was the worst in energy-hungry China since an explosion
killed 105 miners in Shanxi province in December 2007, and has reignited
concern over safety and working conditions in the country's mining sector.
China's coal mines are among the most dangerous in the world, with
safety standards often ignored in the quest for profits and the drive to
meet surging demand for coal -- the source of about 70 percent of
China's energy.
Despite a high-profile government campaign to shut down unsafe and
illegal mines throughout the country, hardly a week goes by in China
without reports of deadly accidents that kill scores of mine workers.
Li Zhanshu, Heilongjiang's top government official, called for coal mine
safety to be made a "top priority that we can hang our hearts on and
grasp in our hands."
"We definitely cannot exchange the lives and blood of our workers to
pursue GDP growth," Li, the province's Communist Party chief, said in
remarks posted on the government's website.
Even as rescuers searched the Heilongjiang mine, state-run Xinhua news
agency reported 11 workers had died and three were missing in a similar
blast at a coal mine in central Hunan province.
A total of 528 miners were in the mine in Heilongjiang province when the
blast occurred, according to the State Administration of Work Safety,
and local news reports said the explosion was so powerful it was felt 10
kilometres (six miles) away.
Mine spokesman Zeng said none of the more than 60 people who were
hospitalised after the explosion was in life-threatening condition.
Chinese media reports have quoted survivors saying they were frantically
trying to flee the mine amid a gas build-up when the explosion occurred.
The head, deputy head and chief engineer of the mine, which is run by
the majority state-owned Heilongjiang Longmay Mining Holding Group, have
been removed from their posts, the China News Service had reported.
State media reports also have said an investigation would be launched
into whether negligence played a part in the disaster.
Official figures show that more than 3,200 workers died in coal mines
last year. But independent labour groups say many more deaths are
covered up.
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