Chinese coal miners still trapped underground
Last weekend, during upgrading works at the large Fengyuan mine in Xinjiang's Hutubi county, in the west of China, flooding trapped 29 miners at a depth of over 1,000 metres underground. While eight miners were able to be rescued quickly, a huge rescue operation, comprising over 1,500 personnel, has spent days trying to reach the trapped miners.
Records indicate that in 2018, the mine was sanctioned twice for failing to provide proper training to staff and failing to correctly calibrate its carbon monoxide sensors. In addition, the mine also violated water flow control regulations, and while it received a fine of 105,000 yuan (~US$16,000), it is unclear if the problem was addressed. Overall, Chinese mines remain among the deadliest in the world. At the time of writing, rescue efforts are still continuing and the 21 miners remain trapped underground. Read more: BBC News online
