RESCUERS HAVE RECOVERED the bodies of the last miners trapped after a gas explosion, bringing the final death toll from the accident to 37.
Of the 276 miners who were underground at the time of the accident, 239 managed to escape.
A gas leak in the state-run mine on Saturday caused over 2,500 tonnes of coal dust to smother the mine, and authorities launched rescue efforts to reach the men who were trapped.
Authorities in China have closed over 1,600 illegal coal mines this year. Coal supplies 70% of China’s energy needs, according to the BBC.
Despite coverage of the successful Chilean mine rescue being shown on Chinese TV, BBC’s correspondent in Beijing says that this Chinese mine disaster has not received extensive coverage.
Over two-thirds of the comments posted on a Chinese internet forum relating to the accident were removed by Chinese censors.
The Telegraph reports that the Chinese miners did not have the same access to a safety shelter and supplies as the Chilean miners.
One survivor said: “There was no rescue equipement in the tunnels, no food or water and most of the time, the safety zones were filled with scrap metal and debris. Also, the ventilation fans were not strong enough to circulate the air sufficiently”.
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