Chinese rescuers battle to save 40 miners trapped by blast

November 29, 2000
Web posted at: 11:49 AM HKT (0349 GMT)

BEIJING (Reuters) -- Rescuers at a coal mine in Inner Mongolia raced against time on Wednesday to reach 40 miners still trapped after an explosion last week but said hopes of finding survivors were slim.

Last Friday's blast killed 11 miners and injured 23.

An official said the trapped miners' chances of survival were diminished by toxic fumes from the explosion pouring into the area where they were.

"The chance of them being alive is so small, but we will keep making efforts up till the last minute," said an official from the rescue team. The official, who declined to be identified, said rescuers had not been able to contact those trapped.

"The distance left between us is about 200 metres (yards), and it will take several hours to get to them," the official told Reuters.

"We haven't made contact with the miners up to now. We are unable to speak to them or give them any water or food."

There was no immediate word on what caused the explosion at the Dayan Coal Company's mine and mine officials have said there would be an investigation into the accident.

The explosion is the latest in a series of underground disasters in China's estimated 40,000 coal mines, which are often badly run and have slack safety standards.

Nine men died on Monday after inhaling poisonous fumes following a gas explosion in the southwestern province of Sichuan, state media have said.

In September, 162 miners died after an explosion in the southwestern province of Guizhou, some after failed efforts to keep them alive by feeding them porridge, milk, water and soup down a long iron pipe.

The government has pledged to improve safety standards in the industry and between January and September it closed down 18,000 illegal and unregulated mines.

China, both the biggest producer and consumer of coal in the world, relies on it to provide 75 percent of its energy.

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