Seven killed in latest mining accident in China, four people still strapped as rescue work continues

Rescuers on Wednesday, 7 December, recovered the bodies of two more persons who died in a coal mine blast in central China two days ago, taking the death toll to seven. Four miners were still trapped in the coal mine where about 46 miners were at work at the time of the blast.

Following the Monday evening accident in the Xinjia Coal Mine in China's Hubei Province, rescuers retrieved five bodies on Tuesday, Xinhua reported. Police have taken into custody the legal representative of the mine.

According to the Associated Press, rescue workers were trying to reach the trapped miners. They are pumping air into the mine shaft to facilitate the ongoing rescue efforts.

This latest mining accident is the third in a week in China that collectively led to the loss of nearly 60 lives. The previous one took place on 3 December in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, where around 17 people were reported dead, according to Xinhua.

Accidents at such workplaces reportedly occur frequently in China, the world's top producer of coal.

Following a recent accident that killed more than 70 construction workers in Fengcheng city in eastern China when a platform in the under-construction cooling tower of a power plant collapsed, President Xi Jinping called on authorities to enhance safety measures at workplaces.

He emphasised on saving lives that were being lost due to safety lapses and pledged taking concrete measures in this regard.