Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Six miners were rescued today after a week spent in the flooded tunnels of a mine in Hegang, Heilongjiang Province. Another five miners are still trapped underground, and other four are dead.
According to Xinhua, the mine was flooded on July 20, due to heavy rains, trapping 15 miners. The Xuxiang mine, where the accident occurred, is in private hands, and produces 150 thousand tons of coal a year.
China -- the world's largest producer of coal -- is grappling to improve standards in the under-regulated sector. According to official statistics, accidents in Chinese coal mines killed 931 people last year. The official number of mining fatalities is declining but some rights groups argue the actual figures are significantly higher due to under-reporting. Many accidents are caused by corrupt bosses seeking profits over worker safety. Often the mine owner is the State itself.