Chinese rescue workers are scrambling to find 18 workers who have gone missing since a huge gas explosion struck a coal mine inChongqing region on Monday.
The explosion ripped through the privately-owned Jinshangou colliery in the southwestern region before Monday noon, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
Rescuers have already recovered 13 bodies from the mine shaft. Two more bodies were found later. Two men escaped unharmed and 18 others remain trapped there. A total of 400 rescuers, firefighters and medical staffers are working to save the trapped miners.
Rescue teams are trying to exhaust poisonous gas which has exceeded standard levels after the explosion. Workers have been trying to repair the damaged lifters and hoists so that they can send down exhaust blowers to the site.
Mine accidents are common in China, in spite of efforts to improve safety for workers. The country is struggling to pass strict safety regulations in the mining sector.
According to authorities, many of these accidents should be blamed on managers who prioritize their own profit over workers' safety.
In January, four miners were rescued from a collapsed gypsum mine in Shandong province after 36 days trapped underground. The mine's owner killed himself shortly after the accident.
China is the world's largest producer and consumer of coal. The Jinshangou mine is licensed to produce 60,000 tonnes of coal a year, local media said.
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