A sudden coal and gas eruption in east China's Jianxin Province on Saturday night has left one miner dead, two injured and 18 others trapped, said a spokesman with the provincial work safety watchdog on Sunday.

The accident occurred at 11:45 p.m. Saturday in Shangtang Township, Fengcheng City when 283 miners were working underground.

Twenty-one of them, 14 gas drainage workers and seven electricians, were at the tunneling working surface when the outburst took place. One was confirmed dead and two others were injured.

As of 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, 262 people and the two injured have escaped safely, said the spokesman.

The rescue work is going on.

The Jianxin Coal Mine, established in 1958 and and affiliated to Jiangxi Coal Group Co., is a large state-owned mine with an annual capacity of more than 80,000 tons.

The mine had previously experienced two deadly accidents in November 2003 and August 2006, which claimed 49 and five lives respectively. 

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 14, 2007)