Beijing: Rescuers are battling to save six coal miners trapped after a flood in a mine in central China's Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in Hubei Province.
The accident took place in a coal mine of Yesanguan Mining Company in Badong County yesterday.
A similar accident that left one worker dead occurred six days ago at the same coal mine, according to the State Administration of Coal Mine Safety.
The flooding this time occurred when the six workers were working underground to clean the site from the previous accident, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
In July, China's work safety watchdog vowed to close over 1,700 accident-prone small coal mines in a bid to enhance safety and reduce casualties.
Yang Dongliang, head of the State Administration of Work Safety, said coal mines with an annual capacity under 90,000 tonnes will be shut down in 50 coal-rich counties in 12 provincial-level regions.
But he did not give a specific timetable for the shutdown.
In the first half of 2014, 51 coal mine accidents in these counties killed 122 people.
Small coal mines in China usually have outdated safety- control measures and are vulnerable to flooding or gas explosions.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, August 14, 2014, 22:59
