Two coal mine accidents in east and southwest China have left 19 minters trapped underground, official sources said yesterday.

 

At a coal mine in eastern Jiangxi Province, a gas burst caused a mine to cave in on seven people trapped beneath it. The accident took place at around 4.30 PM Thursday at the Jiaxin Coal Mine in Shangtang County of Fengcheng City.

 

Rescuers have begun searching for the trapped miners while officials with the Jiangxi Provincial Administration of Coal Mine Safety converge on the site.

 

The Jianxin mine was established in 1958 and has a capacity to produce 750,000 tons of coal every year. 

 

Another mine, in southwestern Guizhou Province, collapsed, trapping 12 workers.

 

The accident took place at around 4 PM Wednesday at the Rongyang Coal Mine located in Xiashan Town, Xingren County, the Bouyei-Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Qianxinan City, a spokesman with the prefecture government said yesterday. This mine ordinarily produces 90,000 tons of coal a year.

 

The 12 miners were in the process of changing shifts when the collapse occurred, said the spokesman, who earlier mentioned that rescuers are struggling to dig a tunnel to reach the trapped miners in time.

 

(Xinhua News Agency August 18, 2006)