China Mine Accident, 26 killed

Friday, October 9, 2009 at 6:24 pm under China News

BEIJING: The collapse of two elevators in a tin ore mine in central China has killed 26 men and injured five others in the latest accident to hit the country’s dangerous mining industry. China Mine Accident, 26 killed

Yuan Ronghua, an official with the Communist Party in the city of Loudi, which oversees Lengshuijiang city in Hunan province, said the five injured are being treated and are in stable and safe conditions.

According to state television CCTV the elevators plunged 197 feet (60 meters). A local news agency said that 19 men died immediately in the accident that took place Thursday and seven others later when the brakes failed. It did not give any details on how that happened.

China’s mines are the world’s deadliest, although the closing of many small, dangerous mines has halved the average number of miners killed to about six a day in the first half of this year. Most accidents are blamed on failures to follow safety rules, including a lack of required ventilation or fire control equipment.