Eleven miners have been trapped after the roof of the shaft of a
private iron- and gold-ore pit collapsed in Chengde, a popular
summer resort in north China's Hebei Province.
The accident actually took place at about 6:00 p.m. on Monday at
Xiaojun Mining Pit inside Gushanzi township, Xinglong County,
blocking the shaft and trapping the miners. However, the accident
was not reported to local authorities in Chengde City until early
on Thursday, said sources from the Hebei Provincial Bureau of Work
Safety.
The mine may have been an illegal operation, according to
provincial bureau of work safety.
No other details are available.
The Hebei Provincial Bureau of Work Safety on Thursday sent a
special team to the site to direct the rescue operation.
(Xinhua News Agency, December 6, 2007)