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Shandong: 21 miners trapped underground. Fourth disaster in two weeks
Seven others managed to escape during the flooding of the tunnel. In Guangxi, two other miners were rescued, more than at depth of 320 meters. Eight are dead and 12 missing. Chinese mines confirmed most dangerous in the world.
Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Twenty miners are trapped underground in an iron mine in Weifang (Shandong), because of flooding of a gallery. Seven others managed to escape while the water filled the tunnel last night at 11 (local time). According to Xinhua, this is the fourth known mining accident in less than two weeks.
In Shandong, 28 miners were trapped for five days in a coal mine in Zaozhuang. In Guizhou, 23 people were buried for 9 days in a gallery that was flooded.
Just yesterday, two coal miners were rescued after surviving more than eight days in a collapsed tunnel in Guangxi, at 320 meters below the surface. Eight workers were killed and 12 others remain missing. Together with the two rescued four corpses were brought to the surface.
According to Xinhua, the local government has put a reward of 2 million Yuan (over 200 000 euros) for those who succeed in pulling some other survivor out alive.
Chinese mines are among the most dangerous in the world. Official figures last year only speak of 2433 deaths in coal mines, about 6 deaths per day. But the actual number is much higher because many incidents go unreported, for fear that the mines will be closed.
Greed for profit in collusion with local authorities permits companies to have virtually non existent safety measures in the knowledge they will not have trouble with the law.
According to international organizations the number of victims of mining accidents are tens of thousands. To learn more, see The inexorable slaughter of Chinese miners: An overview.