The death toll from last Tuesday's coal mine
flooding in Sichuan
had risen to 16 by noon yesterday, and rescue workers said 12
miners were still missing.
The death toll following the flooding of a coal
mine in southwest China's Sichuan Province on October 4 had risen
to 16 by noon yesterday, according the provincial work safety
office, and rescue workers said 12 miners were still missing.
The accident took place around 9 PM last Tuesday at
an uphill area beneath Longtan Coal Mine, in Xiaojing Township of
Guang'an City.
A total of 32 miners were operating underground at
the time and only four escaped.
The colliery, administered by Guang'an Energy Group
Co. Ltd. of Sichuan Provincial Coal Industry Corporation, was built
in June 2003 with a projected annual production capacity of 550,000
tons.
According to rescue experts, field investigations
found that flood water came from an underground limestone cave and
a reservoir nearby.
(Xinhua News Agency October 11, 2005)