Three China Coal Mine Incidents Kill 42

Three separate coal mine accidents occurred in China within a 4-day period, killing at least 42 workers and trapping 16. Most recently, flood waters trapped 24 workers in Renhe Coal Mine in the Henan province on Sept. 7. According to media reports, 62 miners were carrying out maintenance work when water rushed into the mine. Thirty-eight miners managed to escape while the remaining trapped workers awaited rescue. By Sept. 8, only eight had been rescued.

Earlier in the week, a Sept. 4 coal mine explosion in northeastern Liaoning killed 27 workers. Forty-one mine were working in the mine at the time of the explosion. Fourteen miners escaped, including six who sustained injuries.

A day later, on Sept. 5, at least 15 were killed in a gas blast in southwest Sichuan in a mine owned by Jinhe Coal Mining Co. Ltd. Three people are still missing.

According to media reports, China’s mining industry resulted in 3,800 deaths last year, making it one of the world’s deadliest countries for mining.