Chinese coal mine blast killed at least 161

After three days of searching, rescuers at a collapsed coal mine in northeast China still couldn’t agree on the number of miners missing – further underlining the government’s lack of success in improving safety in the disaster-plagued industry.

An explosion on Sunday at the Dongfeng Coal Mine killed at least 161 workers, and rescuers were still combing the debris for more bodies, state media said.

Some workers were trapped for as long as 17 hours in the smoke-filled pit, breathing through wet towels and trying not to pass out, according to one account.

Today, just hours after state television reported that only one miner was unaccounted for, the death toll jumped to 161 from the 150 reported earlier in the day when rescuers pulled more yet bodies from the pit.

The number of miners still missing ranged from 10 to 33, based on different sets of records. “Rescue headquarters refused to comment on the disparity,” the official China Daily newspaper said.

China’s mines are the deadliest in the world, with fires, floods, cave-ins and other disasters reported almost daily. The government has unveiled one initiative after another to try to stem the carnage, vowing to step up safety inspections and punish mine owners who put profits over lives.

Initial reports following Sunday’s blast said 221 miners were working underground – a number based on counting how many miners’ lamps were handed out. But the official attendance roll said 254 workers were on duty that day, state media said.

More than 70 miners were rescued, but again the exact number varied.

Many of China’s mine disasters are blamed on managers who ignore safety rules or fail to install required ventilation or fire control equipment, often in collusion with local officials.

“This industry is too corrupt,” said Yuan Yongqing, whose younger brother Yuan Yongcun was among those killed in Sunday’s blast. A veteran of two decades in the same mine, Yongcun was 48 years old and had a wife, son and daughter-in-law at home.

Mine accidents in China killed 6,027 people last year, according to government figures – a rate of 16 deaths each day.

In Qitaihe, home to the Dongfeng Coal Mine, there was a grim resignation.

“There’s nothing we can do about it,” said Zhang Yaowu, a former miner whose son Zhang Xianhe was killed on Sunday. “We need to work, and the work is dangerous. We need to get on with life.”

Coal mining dominates this town in China’s Heilongjiang province, part of the region once known as Manchuria. Slag heaps from dozens of coal pits dot the countryside.

China’s completely government-controlled media sought to highlight the heroes. “The toxic gas was spreading quickly so we found shelter in a remote corner with some clean air,” said miner Zhang Guoliang, 54, who was credited with saving dozens of lives.

He used his gas detection equipment to find a corner with ventilation, rousing barely conscious co-workers along the way. “I wetted a towel from a tiny stream in the shaft and covered my mouth and nose with it. As the fresh air blew, the other miners woke up and they all followed my suit,” Zhang said.

Authorities say they have shut down more than 12,000 coal mines this year for inspections. Thousands have been ordered to improve their facilities, and many others aren’t expected to reopen.

But, the rate of large-scale accidents is increasing, according to Hong Kong-based China Labour Bulletin.

“Chinese coal miners are paying with their blood to support China’s 8 percent annual economic growth,” the group said. “This is really too cruel and too heavy a price to pay.”