Thirty-four miners are believed dead in two separate coalmine accidents

Reports taken from various news agencies and the Chinese State Administration for Work safety.

22 May 2003

In the latest series of mining disasters it is feared that up to 34 miners are dead after two separate accidents occurred in Shanxi Province – a region scattered with many hundreds of coalmines.

According to reports in the media and news taken from the State Administration for Work Safety 25 miners are missing after a huge gas explosion ripped through an illegal coal mine in Yongtai, Anze County, Shanxi Province at around 7am on 20 May.

According to an official, there is little chance of rescuing the miners alive because the explosion was so catastrophic.

It was also reported that another 33 were trapped 200 metres underground after a flood hit the state run Fudong coalmine in Jinzhong City, Shouyang County, Shanxi province on 19 May 2003.

Xinhua News Agency reported that the flood occurred when the miners mistakenly drilled into an adjoining abandoned shaft that was filled with water.

Of the 33 miners trapped, 24 of them were rescued on 20 May [some reports give the figure as 29]. According to an official from the rescue team there are still hopes that the remaining nine may be rescued alive. However, as of 21 May the miners remained underground.

May 2003 has seen a string of accidents at mines in China – both state run and illegal mines, showing clearly just how is being done to improve the appalling record of deaths and injuries in Chinese mines. A total of 93 miners died in the first two weeks of May alone –an average of some six miners a day. On 13 May, 86 miners were killed in a gas explosion at a mine in Anhui province in eastern China, prompting all mines in the area to be shut until safety standards could be met.

Another seven miners died in a gas explosion at a mine in Liaoyang city, in the country's northeast.

In April 2003, another 97 miners died needlessly in accidents.

Official figures show nearly 1,600 miners died in Chinese mines in the first two months of the year.

China Labour Bulletin is campaigning for an end to the carnage in China’s mines – for information and action please visit our campaign.