A gas explosion in a coalmine in Henan Province, central China, has killed at least 56 people and left 92 others missing, according to Chinese government officials.

The blast occurred at 10:10 p.m. on Wednesday in Daping Mine of Zhengmei Group which is located in Xinmi of the province, according to local coal mine safety administration.

The gas monitoring system of the mine shows that from 10:09 p.m., the gas density increased from 1.49 percent to 40 percent in two minutes 27 seconds and expanded to the whole mine soon.

A total of 446 miners were at work underground when the accident occurred, and 298 miners escaped. So far, 56 miners have been confirmed dead. The 20 injured miners, including 4 severely injured ones, have been sent to the General Hospital of the Zhengzhou Coal Industry Group.

Xinhua News Agency originally reported that 148 miners were trapped after the explosion, but later said that 92 were missing. The detailed casualty is still unavailable.

The accident is yet another blow to China's beleaguered coal mining industry. According to a report of Agence France-Presse, China is the biggest consumer and producer of coal, but appalling safety standards contribute to thousands of mining deaths each year.

A staff member of the mine told AFP from his home near the blast site that the whole area "was sealed off and no one was allowed in." An official, surnamed Cao, at the Henan Coal Mine Safety Supervision Bureau said: "The situation is very tough in the mine, the gas is very dense, and in such conditions, it's hard to survive."

The miners get about 1,000 yuan a month for their hazardous and unhealthy work deep underground, an office director at the mine, surnamed Jiang, told AFP.

The local government has sent more than 1,000 rescue workers to the site right after the accident, Xinhua said. At the site, the rescue work is still going on.

Sun Huashan, Deputy Director of the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS), told a press conference that a special team led by heads of the SAWS has been sent to the site of the blast. The cause for the blast is under investigation.

He also said that according to experiences in past coalmine disasters, the hope for those missing miners to come out alive is very slim.

Located under the Songshan Mountain 40 kilometers to the southwest of Zhengzhou city, the state-owned mine has 4,100 employees now. Put into operation in 1986, the mine now has an annual production capacity of 1.3 million tons.

At the office building of the Daping Mine, bodies of victims were covered with green canvas and waiting for recognition. More than 20 people holding roster were checking names of them.

Sun Huashan, the work safety administration deputy head, said the accident showed that "there are still a lot of insufficiencies in the safe production in mines ... especially under the current heavy demand for coal."

In the first nine months of this year alone, 4,153 people died in mine accidents in China, according to official figures.

Work Safety Administration spokesman Huang Yi was quoted by Xinhua as urging mine owners to learn from the latest explosion.

"Gas control will be top priority in ensuring work safety in coal mines," he said.

Source: Xinhua News Agency, Agence France-Presse

21 October 2004