MOSCOW, December 18 (RIA Novosti) - Six people were killed, one was injured and another went missing after a blast rocked a coalmine in central China’s Hunan province, Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday.
The explosion, which ripped through the Niulanchu Coal Mine in Zhongfang County on Monday at 3:00 p.m. local time, killed six miners at the scene and seriously injured one miner, who is currently in an intensive care.
Rescuers continue clearing the debris at the coalmine looking for one more miner, who was also working there at the time of the accident, but went missing after the blast.
According to the agency, preliminary investigation showed that the operator of the mine was to blame for the tragic accident.
The coal industry in energy-hungry China is one of the most dangerous in the world due to poor work safety standards and intensive work schedules. Hundreds of lives are lost annually in accidents at coal mines in the country.
