Home

Managers held as 22 trapped in China mine

AAP
Workers are clear obstructions while drilling a new shaft to reach 22 trapped miners in China.
Camera IconWorkers are clear obstructions while drilling a new shaft to reach 22 trapped miners in China.

Authorities have detained managers at a goldmine in eastern China where 22 workers have been trapped underground following an explosion on Sunday.

The condition of the workers trapped for more than three days remains unknown.

Managers waited more than a day to give notice of the explosion in violation of rules saying accidents must be reported within one hour, the official Xinhua News Agency said on Thursday, calling that an illegal act that would not go unpunished.

It was not clear if other accusations would be brought against them.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

The mine in Qixia, a jurisdiction under the city of Yantai in Shandong province, had been under construction at the time of the Sunday afternoon blast, the cause of which has not been announced.

More than 300 workers are seeking to clear obstructions while drilling a new shaft to reach the chamber and expel dangerous fumes.

Dominated by coal, China's mining industry used to be the world's deadliest, suffering more than 5000 fatalities a year from explosions, gas leaks an floods.

Safety improved dramatically after authorities overhauled the industry starting about 15 years ago, closing most smaller, more dangerous operations and boosting supervision.

Still, accidents happen relatively frequently, including two in the southwestern megacity of Chongqing last year that killed 39 miners.

Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.

Sign up for our emails