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Investigation: Flooding at coal mine starts Sunday afternoon

2010-03-30 13:29 BJT

A preliminary investigation has shown that flooding at a state-owned coal mine in North China's Shanxi province, may have started Sunday afternoon when workers dug into a network of old, water-filled shafts.

Of the 261 workers who were in the mine at the time of the flooding, one hundred and eight have been rescued safely. 153 still remain trapped. The mine is affiliated with a state-owned coal company, and covers about 180 square kilometers. It boasts more than 2.3 billion tons of coal reserves. The mine is currently under construction and is expected to produce 6 million tons of coal a year.

Rescuers carry pipes at the site of a flooding accident of Wangjialing Coal Mine, sitting astride Xiangning County of Linfen City and Hejin City of Yuncheng City, in north China's Shanxi Province, on March 29, 2010.(Xinhua/Gao Xueyu) 
Rescuers carry pipes at the site of a flooding accident of Wangjialing Coal
Mine, sitting astride Xiangning County of Linfen City and Hejin City of
Yuncheng City, in north China's Shanxi Province, on March 29, 2010.
(Xinhua/Gao Xueyu)
 

Editor: Zhang Ning | Source: CCTV.com