China: Six Workers Trapped in Tungsten Mine

Dec. 19, 2005
Six workers are trapped underground in a tungsten mine in Southwest China's Yunnan Province after the mine caved in Dec. 18, the state-run Xinhua news agency is reporting.

Local authorities said there's little hope the miners will survive, according to Xinhua. The authorities noted the privately run tungsten mine has been operating without a business license, Xinhua is reporting.

The mine cave-in is the latest in a spate of accidents in China's mining industry, which has been running full-tilt to fuel the country's booming economy. A Dec. 7 gas explosion in the Liuguantun mine in Tangshan, a city in north China's Hebei Province, killed 91 people and left 17 others still missing, according to the most recent statistics quoted by Xinhua.

Several days after the Liuguantun incident, China's top workplace safety official vowed to shut down at least 4,000 mines that fall short of safety standards by the end of the year.

So far this year, 5,491 coal miners have died in mine accidents 206 more than last year according to government statistics quoted by Xinhua news agency.

Sponsored Recommendations

June 23, 2025
With the right workplace health and safety training, your organization can reduce risk and protect your employees.
June 23, 2025
This article covers the key steps to build a reliable SDS management program, from organizing your inventory and sourcing updated SDS to ensuring easy access and regular maintenance...
June 23, 2025
It's time to get a bit more granular and start to examine the types of metrics EHS departments should be tracking, starting with lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR).
June 23, 2025
With the number of lone workers on the rise, here are five facts every employer should know about lone working.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EHS Today, create an account today!