Coal mine blast traps 19 miners in northern China

Rescue operations are underway for at least 19 miners trapped underground in a coal mine after a gas explosion in China's northern province of Heilongjiang.

The explosion occurred on Wednesday in the city of Hegang, but its cause still remains unknown.

A total of 52 workers were working in the Xiangyang coal mine when the blast took place, while only 33 managed to escape.

Authorities have admitted that the chance of survival for those trapped was very slim mainly due to the extremely high concentrations of carbon monoxide and rising temperatures in the mine.

China’s mining industry is notorious for its lack of safety measures and high number of fatalities.

The latest incident in China’s industry occurred after a coal mine fire in the same province killed 22 people on November 22.

About 420 deaths due to coal mining accidents were recorded as of September this year.

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