Chinese rescuers say there’s little chance of survival for the 19 workers trapped inside a coal mine after an explosion, state media reported on Thursday (December 17).
The blast happened at about 2:30 p.m. (0630 GMT) on Wednesday (December 16) in Hegang city, when 52 miners were working underground, CCTV said.
Thirty-three of the miners managed to escape after the accident, it added.
CCTV said the fire brought the underground temperature up to as high as 1,000 degrees Celsius and the concentration of carbon monoxide would make it impossible to survive.
“Normal concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) should not go higher than 24 ppm (parts per million), and currently the CO concentration (underground) is 14,650 ppm, reaching a level that people can suffocate to death with just one breath,” said Zhang Qinxiang, spokesman of Rescue and Command Office.
According a preliminary investigation, the fire was caused by a gas explosion.
China’s coal mines are the deadliest in the world because of poor safety and the rush to feed energy demand from the world’s second-largest economy. (CCTV/Reuters)