China mine disaster: Dozens trapped by 'rock burst' (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

Dozens of miners have been trapped in a coal mine in China after a "rock burst", officials say.

Four miners were killed and 57 are still missing after the accident, which happened late on Thursday in the city of Sanmenxia in Henan province.

State media reported that the rock burst - an explosion caused by the sudden release of built-up pressure - happened shortly after an earthquake.

Hundreds of Chinese miners die every year in pit accidents.

The industry is one of the most dangerous in the world, and is notorious for its lax safety standards.
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more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-15587461

[midnight]

1. K&R

[DavidDvorkin]

2. Rock bursts are always a terrible danger

I don't know if any progress has been made on this, but when I worked in the mining industry and MSHA, in the 1970s, there was no way to predict if or when they'd occur. If a miner happens to be there when one happens, the results can be deadly.

[eppur_se_muova]

3. UPDATE: China mine accident: Dozens of miners pulled out alive (BBC)

Emergency teams in central China have rescued the remaining 45 miners who were trapped underground following a cave-in.

Chinese media say they were trapped for 36 hours in the Qianqiu colliery in the city of Sanmenxia in Henan province.

Eight miners were rescued on Friday while 14 escaped soon after the accident late on Thursday.

Officials said eight miners were killed in the cave-in, which occurred after a minor earthquake.

Lax safety standards

On Saturday, state broadcaster CCTV showed images of miners being pulled out on stretchers with towels wrapped around their eyes to protect them from the sun's glare.
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more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-15604288