Beijing — An open pit mine collapsed in China’s northern Inner Mongolia region on Wednesday, killing at least two people and leaving more than 50 missing, state media reported.
 
The official Xinhua News Agency said people were buried under debris at the mine in Alxa League. Rescuers brought out three people, two of whom showed no signs of life.
 
Other state media reports gave the total number of missing at 57 and said numerous vehicles were also buried in the collapse.
 
Inner Mongolia is a key region for mining coal and other minerals in China, which critics say has ravaged the original landscape of mountains, grassy steppe and deserts.

Trucks line up to transport coal from a coal mine in a January 14, 2023, file photo taken in Ejin Horo Banner, Ordos City, in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Wang Zheng/VCG/Getty


China overwhelmingly relies on coal for power generation, but has strived to reduce the number of deadly mine accidents through a greater emphasis on safety and the closure of smaller operations that lacked necessary equipment.
 
Most mining deaths are attributed to explosions caused by the buildup of methane and coal dust, or to drownings caused when miners break into shafts that had been abandoned due to flooding.
 
China has recorded a slew of deadly industrial and construction accidents in recent months as a result of poor safety training and regulation, official corruption and a tendency to cut corners by companies seeking to eek out profits. The economy has slowed, partly as a result of draconian lockdowns and quarantines imposed under the now-abandoned “zero-COVID” policy.


Source link

You May Also Like

Live Updates: Maui wildfires prompt rescues in Lahaina

BEFORE – A satellite image shows an overview of Lahaina, Maui County,…

Trump demands DirecTV drop CNN, MSNBC in rant against Newsmax removal

Former President Donald Trump is calling on DirecTV to drop CNN and…

Being a caregiver for the elderly prematurely aged me

On my first Sunday in Florida, when I visited Cecile, her care…

CDC shoots down false claims it will mandate COVID-19 vaccines for schoolchildren, saying states make that decision

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has refuted claims that it’s…