China: Trapped miners confirmed dead after gas explosion
Rescuers have recovered the bodies of 12 workers who were trapped after a gas explosion tore through a coal mine in central China, state media said today.
The miners went missing after the blast earlier this week at the No. 10 mine of the Pingdingshan Coal (Group) Co. Ltd. in Pingdingshan, a city in Henan province, the Xinhua News Agency said.
Twelve other workers escaped, it said.
Search and rescue operations have ended, Xinhua said.
China’s coal mines are the world’s deadliest, with an average of 13 deaths a day in fires, explosions and floods despite government efforts to improve safety. Poor enforcement of safety rules and inadequate safety equipment are often to blame.
