A coal mine explosion in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang
has killed two and left seven missing, according to Xinhua News
Agency yesterday.
Two miners narrowly escaped and nine were trapped after the gas
blast in Qitaihe City at 5:00 PM on Wednesday.
Local officials have rushed to the colliery to organize rescue
efforts, and the cause of the accident is under investigation.
Meanwhile, an expert at the site of the landslide in Shanxi
Province said it would take another 2-3 days to dig out 24
buried farmers, and the chances of finding them alive were
minimal.
Loess, loose sediment deposited by wind, on one side of a road
in Qiaonan Village collapsed at about 11:00 PM on Monday.
Several landslides have occurred since, causing further problems
for the rescue effort.
The provincial government has called for better early warning
and prevention systems for geological disasters. As the flood
season has arrived, other incidents are expected.
(Xinhua News Agency, China Daily May 12, 2005)
