Chinese rescuers race to save 22 trapped by gold mine blast
- State media criticise mine owner for taking more than a day to ask for help from emergency authorities
- Condition of workers at site in Qixia not known
More than 20 workers are still trapped hundreds of metres underground three days after an explosion at a gold mine in eastern China, state media reported on Wednesday.
A blast erupted on Sunday afternoon at the Hushan mine in Qixia, Shandong province, burying 22 people working below the surface, but the authorities were only notified 30 hours later when the mine owner asked for help with the rescue operation.
Rescuers were still racing to save the workers on Wednesday, but the condition of those trapped was not known because of damage to the mine’s communications system, China National Radio reported.
As well as clearing the shaft, rescuers have been digging two new ones nearby but they are expected to take up to five days to reach the depth of the trapped workers.
The blast occurred in a shaft around 240 metres (790 feet) underground at around 2pm.
At the time, nine workers were believed to be working at a depth of 648 metres and 13 others at 698 metres.
In addition to blocking access and cutting the communications system, the explosion depleted oxygen supplies and released toxic gas in the mine.
However, it was not until 8pm the next day that the owner of the mine, Shandong Wucailong Investment, reported the incident to Qixia’s emergency management bureau.
“The company tried to rescue the workers shortly after the accident, but it underestimated the difficulty, so it only reported to the municipal emergency bureau at 8.05pm on Monday,” CNR quoted bureau chief Sun Shufu as saying.
Several state media outlets, including China Central Television, criticised the 30-hour reporting delay, saying it held up rescue efforts.
“Rescue work is a race with death. Delays in reporting such incidents are intolerable,” the broadcaster said in a commentary.
Zhaojin Mining is China’s fourth-largest gold miner, and is a major shareholder of Wucailong. Wucailong obtained the mineral rights to the site in 2016, according to official filings.
Mining operations have yet to start at the site, with construction, including of the shaft where the blast occurred, still under way.
China is the world’s biggest gold producer and had an output of 380 tonnes in 2019.
Mining accidents are common in the country, which is also the world’s biggest coal producer.
More than 400 mining accidents were reported last year, resulting in 573 deaths, or 22 per cent fewer fatalities year on year, the National Mine Safety Administration said on Monday.
