As of 3:00 AM on 12 July, 66 of the 87 miners underground at the time of yesterday's gas explosion at the Shenlong Coal Mine in Fukang County (Xinjiang) have been declared dead. Four people survived the blast, and 17 are still missing.
Yu Zhengui, Deputy General Secretary of the people's government of the autonomous region, said that the chances of survival for the 17 missing miners were very slim.
A working group led by Li Yizhong, head of the State Administration of Work Safety and Zhao Tiechui, head of the State Administration of Coal Mine Safety, arrived at the site at about 2:00 PM on 11 July to convey orders from the State Council. These orders were that rescue operations be made a top priority, and that an investigation into the cause of the blast be conducted.
The company that owns the Shenlong coal mine was established in 2001. Since then, local safety officials have cited the mine for production beyond capacity and operation without a safety certificate.
With 66 casualties, the accident is recorded as the worst in Xinjiang since 1949. The local government has ordered all mines with potential safety risks to cease operations pending inspections.
Source: Xinhua
12 July 2005