Nando Times

China's latest mine explosion kills 10

The Associated Press

BEIJING (November 24, 2000 9:05 a.m. EST http://www.nandotimes.com) - A gas explosion triggered by electric sparks killed 10 people and severely injured another four at an illegal coal mine in southern China, the state-run Xinhua News Agency said Friday.

The owner of the Shuangqing mine in Shaoyang city, Hunan province, fled following Thursday's blast, caused by sparks from a winch switch, Xinhua said. The mine was illegal because it did not have government certification, the report said.

Amid a recent rash of accidents, all coal mines run by townships in Hunan have been ordered to suspend operations until they pass safety inspections, Xinhua said. Mines run by town governments in China are often small, unsafe and polluting.

Since September, 46 people have died in six accidents in state-owned and small illegal coal mines in Hunan, Xinhua said.

China earlier this month announced new laws to tighten safety in its coal mines, the world's deadliest because of poor safety, lax enforcement of safety laws and low investment. In the first 10 months of this year, 4,883 people were killed in mine accidents.

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), November 24, 2000