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BEIJING: Rescuers fear 13 workers trapped in a coal mine that caught fire in northeast China are dead, after their boss initially claimed they were safe, delaying efforts to find them, state media said Sunday.
The owner allegedly told authorities that no one was missing after the blaze started late Wednesday in the mine near Hegang city in Heilongjiang province, the Xinhua news agency reported.
It was not until Friday that local officials received a tip-off that 13 workers remained trapped inside the privately run Taiyuan Coal Mine, according to the agency.
Rescue workers, belatedly aware that they were not just putting out a fire but trying to save lives, could be seen at the mouth of the mine late on Saturday, their faces covered by masks to protect against fumes, Xinhua said.
"Dense toxic gases prevented rescue workers from entering the mine," Xinhua said. "There is little hope for the 13 trapped miners."
The rescuers were also hampered by a lack of proper equipment after they used up all available fire extinguishers, forcing them to simply pump water into the mine to try to put out the blaze, according to the agency.
A person who answered a call to the coal mine's main telephone line on Sunday suggested that police had detained management.
"The area has been sealed. All people at the coal mine have been caught," he said, declining to identify himself or provide any further comment.
Nearly 3,800 lives were lost in Chinese coal mines last year, down 20 per cent from the year before, according to government figures.
However, many independent labour groups suspect the actual death toll is much higher, saying many accidents are covered up to prevent costly shutdowns and legal action.
China, which relies heavily on coal for its energy needs, recently launched a campaign to close illegal and unsafe mines to stem the disasters, and authorities have said thousands of such mines have been shut.
But the government plans to let more than 10,000 coal mines that were closed recently to reopen due to an energy shortage caused by the recent winter weather crisis, state press said Thursday. - AFP/ac
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