Rescuers search for missing miners as explosion kills 146

Rescuers in north-east China worked in sub-freezing temperatures today to search for three coal miners who were trapped after an explosion killed 146 others in a disaster that has highlighted the industry’s shortcomings despite repeated safety crackdowns.

The blast in the Dongfeng Coal Mine late on Sunday prompted national leaders to demand stricter enforcement of safety rules in China’s mines – by far the world’s deadliest, with thousands of fatalities a year in fires, floods and other accidents.

Today, roads leading to the mine were blocked several miles away, with police officers and vehicles standing guard.

Search efforts were still going on at sunset.

The chance of survival was low because of a high concentration of poisonous gas in the tunnel, Song Kaicheng, an engineer with the group that owns the mine, was cited as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency.

Inside the mine compound, rescue workers wearing orange jump-suits and respirators could be seen making their way through the -12 degrees Celsius weather to the mouth of the coal pit.

Seventy-two workers have been saved, state media said.

Hundreds of officers in the area took refuge from the cold in 60 police cars and six buses as paramilitary troops brought in food and water for rescue crews.

Xinhua said 146 were killed and state television said two more people died above ground in the blast. It wasn’t immediately clear if they were miners.

The official China News Service said relatives were to receive compensation.

The disaster is a setback for Chinese officials struggling to improve safety in the coal mining industry.

Most accidents are blamed on a disregard for safety rules or a lack of equipment for ventilation or fire control. Local officials often are accused of helping mine owners or managers flout safety rules.

“This industry is too corrupt. Safety is no good,” said Yuan Yongqing, a 57-year-old retired miner, whose younger brother, Yuan Yongcun, was killed in Sunday’s explosion.

One other brother had already died in a mining accident, Yuan said, dragging on a cigarette as he walked through Hongguang village, about two miles from the Dongfeng coal mine, where many area residents work.

At the Qitaihe Coal Group General Hospital, about a dozen police guarded a ward set up for survivors.

One man who gave only his family name, Li, said he was hoping for news about his son. Reporters trying to speak with dozens of relatives waiting outside were swiftly escorted off the premises.

Xinhua said most of the rescued miners were suffering from gas poisoning.

Beijing has unveiled one safety initiative after another in recent years. It has announced the creation of a national network of safety inspectors, stricter fire standards and shorter working hours for miners to prevent fatigue.

Authorities say they have shut down more than 12,000 coal mines this year for safety inspections.

Thousands have been ordered to improve their facilities, and many others aren’t expected to reopen.

The government said the explosion in Qitaihe was blamed on airborne coal dust that ignited. But there was no word on whether it was believed to involve misconduct or human error.

The town has seen a series of fatal mining accidents. In May 2004, 12 people were killed in an explosion. Blasts also killed 17 in March and another nine in May this year.