At least 57 people were trapped after a coal mine collapsed in north China’s Inner Mongolia region on Wednesday, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
“At least 57 people are missing,” the broadcaster said, and “more than 200 rescuers have arrived on site.”
Earlier, state agency New China spoke of about fifty people trapped when this open pit mine collapsed in the Alxa League in the west of the region.
“The accident happened on Wednesday afternoon, and according to preliminary investigations, more than 50 people were trapped under the mine,” New China said.
“At 17:13 (9:13 GMT, ed.) three people were retrieved from the mine, two of whom showed no vital signs,” she added.
Mine safety has improved in China in recent decades, as has media coverage of these incidents, many of which were once overlooked.
Nevertheless, accidents happen again and again, due to the dangers of the industry and the sometimes arbitrary application of safety instructions.
In late December, 40 people found themselves trapped underground after a gold mine collapsed in the Xinjiang region (northwest).
In December 2021, two miners stranded in a flooded coal mine in Shanxi (north) died and 20 others were rescued after rescue operations.
In September 2021, 19 miners trapped underground after a coal mine collapse in Qinghai province (northwest) were found dead after a long search.