A coal mine blast has killed five miners and left one missing in
north China's Hebei Province, local authorities said today.
The gas explosion occurred in Xipo Coal Mine in Weixian County,
Zhangjiakou City at 7:30 PM on Wednesday, according to the
provincial coal mine safety bureau.
Six miners were doing maintenance down the shaft when the blast
happened, and rescuers rushed to the scene immediately after the
accident, the bureau said.
The colliery, with an annual capacity of 60,000 tons, had not
got a safety license for operations, the bureau added.
166 miners had been confirmed killed and seven still missing as
of 9:30 AM today after Sunday's blast at Dongfeng Coal Mine in
Qitaihe City in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang.
Yesterday, the State Council announced that an investigation
team headed by Zhao Tiechui, head of the State Administration of
Coal Mine Safety Supervision, has been set up in Qitaihe to
investigate the cause of the accident.
(Xinhua News Agency December 2, 2005)