Tuesday, February 15 2005 10:28 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Beijing: At least 203 miners were killed, 22 injured and 13 still trapped in one of the worst coalmine gas explosions in China in Fuxin, a city in northeast China's Liaoning Province, the State media reported today (Feb 15, 2005).

The gas blast occurred at 14:50 hrs (local time) yesterday (Feb 14, 2005) at the No 3316 working face of Sunjiawan colliery about 242 metres underground, Vice-General Manager of the Fuxin coal industry group, Zhang Yunfu said.

Rescue operation began immediately and further investigation is underway.

Senior provincial officials have rushed to the mine to direct the rescue and relief operations, China Central Television reported.

China, which depends on coal for 70 per cent of its energy needs, has the most dangerous mines in the world. Over 6,000 miners died in some 6,300 mining accidents in 2004, according to official reports.

The Chinese Government has repeatedly promised to try to prevent major accidents by stepping up work safety and closing down illegal mines dotting the countryside.

One of the reasons citied for the growing coal mine accidents is the energy crunch faced by the fastest growing nation. This has prompted some mines to overwork at the expense of safety standards.

About 180 rescuers have been sent to the Sunjiawan colliery to save the 13 miners still trapped underground, Xinhua news agency reported.

About 574 people were in the colliery yesterday morning, 336 people went out of the colliery at 14:00 hrs (local time) and there were 238 coal miners in the colliery when the disaster happened at 14:50 hrs.

Governor of Liaoning Province Zhang Wenyue and two other Vice-Governors rushed to the site immediately after the accident to supervise the rescue work.