6 killed in fire at gold mine in eastern China
Rescue teams work on saving workers trapped underground after an explosion at the gold mine under construction in Qixia, Shandong province, China, January 12, 2021.
PHOTO: Reuters
PUBLISHED ONFebruary 18, 2021 2:19 AM
Six people were killed in a fire at a gold mine in eastern China's Shandong province, while four others were rescued, state media reported on Wednesday (Feb 17).
The fire occurred at around 6am local time during maintenance at the Caojiawa gold mine in the city of Zhaoyuan, the official Xinhua news agency reported, citing local authorities.
Ten miners were trapped by the fire, Xinhua said, adding that the four who were rescued had been taken to hospital for medical treatment.
The fire was the second major incident at a Shandong gold mine in little over a month.
In Jan, 11 workers trapped by an explosion at the Hushan mine were dramatically pulled out alive after spending two weeks underground.
At least 10 miners were killed, however, prompting the authorities to launch more safety inspections.
China's mines are among the world's deadliest. The country recorded 573 mine-related deaths in 2020, according to the National Mine Safety Administration.