National

Regional

Taiwan, HK, Macao

Special Coverage

Focus

Society

Profiles

Gas blast traps 18 miners in central China

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-12-18 10:56

CHANGSHA - Eighteen miners were trapped after a coal mine blast on Wednesday afternoon in Lianyuan city of central China's Hunan Province, local officials said Thursday.

The Guaziyan colliery is seen in this picture taken on December 18, 2008. Eighteen miners were trapped after the coal mine blast on Wednesday afternoon in Guaziyan colliery, Lianyuan City, Central China's Hunan Province. [Xinhua]

The blast occurred at 3:15 p.m. as 32 miners were working, and 14 managed to escape.

Rescuers are trying to contact the trapped miners.

The township-owned Guaziyan colliery opened in 1997. It has a designed annual capacity of 30,000 tons but has sought to double that level.

All coal mines in Lianyuan city halted production for safety checks and an investigation into the cause of the incident was launched.

   Previous page 1 2 Next Page  

   Previous page 1 2 Next Page