Beijing, Nov 21: A gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China on Saturday trapped 139 miners and injured an unknown number of people, but there were no immediate reports of any deaths.
The explosion occurred at about 2:30 a.m. in northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, the official reported. It said the mine confirmed that another 389 miners managed to escape.
A man answering the phone at the mine said an unknown number of people were injured, but no deaths were reported. He said the number of trapped miners was lower than the reported 139, but he did not give details.
An official with the Hegang city’s Work Safety Bureau told The Associated Press that rescue work continues and could not give more details.
The mine is run by one of China’s top 520 state-owned enterprises, according to the Web site of its owner, the Hegang branch of the Heilongjiang Longmei Holding Mining Group. The site says the Hegang branch has more than 88,000 employees.
A blast at the Tunlan coal mine in northern China’s Shanxi province killed 77 people in February, China’s worst industrial accident in a year.
–Agencies