A coal mine collapse in Gansu province, China, has reportedly led to ten deaths and seven wounded people.
AFP cited state television channel China Central Television (CCTV) as saying on Twitter that the accident occurred at 11:15am local time on 23 July 2022 following a collapse of a section of a mountain at the mine.
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It took place when some personnel were moving around the mining site in Jingtai County.
A working group has been sent to the accident site by China’s Ministry of Emergency Management to assist in rescue work and conduct a probe into the accident, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The ministry has already dispatched national rescue and local firefighting teams to support the rescue operations.
Furthermore, China’s Ministry of Emergency Management called on the local authorities to learn lessons from the mine accident, identify its causes, assess the risks and hazards, as well as offer remedial measures, Global Times reported citing CCTV.
China Minister of Emergency Management Huang Min was quoted by China Daily as saying: “Local departments need to clearly recognise the current high risks of coal mine production and tighten efforts to maintain safety.”
In February 2022, an accident at the Shunxun coal mine in Guizhou Province killed 14 miners. The mine is situated in Zhenfeng County, Bouyei-Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Qianxinan.
Some political leaders in China have urged the government to close coal mines with a production capacity below 300,000tpa on safety and environmental grounds.
