Deadly blast at illegal China mine
Explosion at iron mine reportedly disguised as pig farm leaves 24 dead.
Published On 19 Feb 2008
Five of the survivors were injured but were in stable condition at a hospital.
The explosion happened at a tunnel whose entrance is located in a pig pen, reports said.
The mine was disguised from the outside by three walls, Xinhua quoted a local government official as saying.
A local official told the Associated Press the cause of the blast was not immediately known but that the government had launched an investigation.
He said the owner of the mine fled after the explosion.
China’s mining industry is the most dangerous in the world, averaging 13 deaths a day from fires, explosions and floods.
Many of the accidents are blamed on mine owners who disregard safety rules and fail to install required ventilation, fire control and other equipment.
Source: News Agencies