Mine accident in southwest China kills 22

USPA News - More than 20 people were killed Tuesday in a gas incident at a coal mine in southwestern China, but several workers were able to escape safely, state-run media reported on Wednesday morning, just weeks after another deadly mine accident. The latest accident happened at about 5:40 p.m. local time on Tuesday at the Yanshitai Coal Mine in Wansheng District, which is located near the major city of Chongqing in the country`s southwest.

A total of 28 miners were working underground at the time of the accident, which was only described as a "gas incident," possibly referring to a gas outburst. The state-run Xinhua news agency said six miners had managed to escape the shaft, of whom two were injured, though their conditions were not immediately released. The remaining 22 miners were all killed and their bodies had been recovered and brought to the surface by Wednesday morning, the report said. It was not immediately known what may have caused Tuesday`s accident, which happened at a mine belonging to the state-owned Nantong Mining Company, which is the largest coal producer in Chongqing. Safety conditions at mines in China have rapidly improved in recent years, though they continue to be ranked as the world`s most dangerous with 1,049 deaths reported in 2013, according to official figures. The Chinese government reported 1,384 fatalities in 2012, down from 1,973 fatalities in 2011, 2,433 fatalities in 2010, and 2,631 fatalities in 2009. China shut down scores of small mines in recent years to improve safety and efficiency in the mining industry. The country has also ordered all mines to build emergency shelter systems which need to be equipped with machines to produce oxygen and air conditioning, protective walls and airtight doors to protect workers against toxic gases and other hazardous factors. One of the worst mining accidents in China in recent years happened in November 2009 when 104 workers were killed after several explosions at a coal mine in Heilongjiang province. More recently, 14 workers were killed on April 21 when a gas explosion tore through a coal mine in southwest China`s Yunnan province.