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Fourteen dead, 11 trapped in central China coal mine
2008-08-03
BEIJING (AFP) - An explosion in a coal mine in central China on Friday left at least 14 miners dead and 11 others trapped, state press reported. The explosion occurred at a mine owned by state-run giant Pingdingshan Coal Industry Group in Yuzhou city, Henan province, early Friday morning, according to Xinhua news agency. Rescuers spoke with two of the trapped miners, Xinhua said, quoting Li Shuxin, chief engineer of a subsidiary of the group in Yuzhou. "The two miners contacted the ground rescuers via a fixed telephone in the mine," he said, according to Xinhua. "They are now waiting for rescue in the mine's shelter room, which has continuous drinking water and oxygen supply." The location and condition of the other nine trapped miners remained unclear, Xinhua said. It was not immediately known if the bodies of the 14 dead miners had been pulled out of the mine shaft. 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 demand for coal -- the source of about 70 percent of the country's energy. Nearly 3,800 people died in Chinese coal mines last year, according to official figures, although independent monitors say the real figure was likely far higher as many accidents are covered up.
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