A gas leak from a coal mine in Central China has caused 30 deaths as of Monday, Chinese state media has said.
He gas leak occurred while more than 276 workers were underground. 239 have escaped, but more are feared dead after more than 2,500 tons of coal dust smothered the pit after a gas leak which has significantly hampered rescue efforts. Seven more miners are still under ground, but hope for finding them alive is slim.
Initial investigations into the leak have shown that a total of 173,500 cubic meters of gas has leaked out after the accident. The mine is also the site of a 2008 explosion which resulted in 23 workers losing their lives.
China has one of the world’s worst record for mines, with some of the deadliest mines in the world. Each year, poor safety standards and lack of regulations account for thousands of deaths in the mining sector.
Xinhua news agency has reported that China has closed 1,355 small coal mines this year as part of a larger initiative by the National Energy Administration to reorganize the mining industry in China, with the aim of increasing safety levels for workers as well as reducing green house emissions from the industry, which are also some of the highest in the world.
The world is becoming more and more aware of the dangers mining poses for its workers, after the Chilean miners who were trapped underground for weeks, were rescued last week.
