The State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS) reported on its
website Tuesday that a total of 244 of the miners trapped
underground in the Sunjiawan colliery explosion had been found as
of 11:50 PM Monday night. The confirmed death toll now stands at
214, with 30 injured.
Previous reports had indicated that 29 miners were injured, but
no specific information was provided about finding another
survivor.
The explosion occurred at about 3:00 PM February 14, when 574
miners were at work in the shaft. Only 330 escaped.
The Sunjiawan colliery employs 3,100 workers and operates two
mines. The Haizhou coal mine, where the disaster took place,
produces 1.5 million tons of coal annually.
(Xinhua News Agency February 22, 2005)