Hope Fades for China's Trapped Miners (30 confirmed dead, 7 more trapped)

[pinboy3niner]

Hope Fades for China's Trapped Miners
Updated: 51 minutes ago
Lauren Frayer
Contributor

AOL News (Oct. 18) -- Rescuers are battling flammable poison gases to try to save seven Chinese miners trapped underground after an explosion that killed 30 of their co-workers.

The men have been trapped for three days, and authorities fear they could be suffocated by the gases before help can reach them. Thirty miners were confirmed dead today, Bloomberg News reported.

More than 200 other miners escaped early Saturday when more than 6 million cubic feet of poison gas rushed through their coal mine's network of tunnels, killing some miners and trapping others when 2,500 metric tons of coal dust blocked their escape routes, Sky News reported.

The central China mine blast has garnered worldwide attention because it's unfolding on the heels of celebrations for 33 miners rescued in Chile after more than two months trapped underground. Their miraculous rescue has brought attention to miners' safety around the world, particularly in China, where more than 2,000 miners die in accidents each year.

http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/hope-fades-for-chinas-trapped-miners/19677882

R.I.P. ...

The Bells of Rhymney

Oh what will you give me?
Say the sad bells of Rhymney.
Is there hope for the future?
Cry the brown bells of Merthyr.
Who made the mine owner?
Say the black bells of Rhondda.
And who robbed the miner?
Cry the grim bells of Blaina.

They will plunder will-nilly,
Cry the bells of Caerphilly.
They have fangs, they have teeth,
Shout the loud bells of Neath.
Even God is uneasy,
Say the moist bells of Swansea.
And what will you give me?
Say the sad bells of Rhymney.

Throw the vandals in court,
Say the bells of Newport.
All will be well if, if, if,
Cry the green bells of Cardiff.
Why so worried, sisters why?
Sang the silver bells of Wye.
And what will you give me?
Say the sad bells of Rhymney?

Words from "Gwalia Deserta" by Idris Davies
Music by Pete Seeger
© 1959 & 1964 Ludlow Music, Inc.

__________________

The Byrds - The Bells of Rhymney (2:33)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8gBysv5gYQ

__________________

Idris Davies

Idris Davies (born 6 January 1905 Rhymney, died 6 April 1953), was a Welsh poet, originally writing in Welsh, but later writing exclusively in English. He was the only poet to cover significant events in the early 20th century in the South Wales Valleys and the South Wales coalfield, and from a perspective literally at the coalface.

He is now best known for "Bells of Rhymney", a poem about the failure of the 1926 UK General Strike and the Great Depression in the United Kingdom and their effects on the South Wales coal mining valleys.... ....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idris_Davies

[pinboy3niner]

1. Another source today reports 11 still missing:

11 Still Trapped in China Coal Mine
NTD News
Created: Oct 18, 2010 Last Updated: Oct 18, 2010

Chinese miners were the victims of an explosion on Saturday Oct 16 at the state-owned Pingyu Coal and Electric Co. Ltd. Mines, claiming 26 lives and leaving at least 11 miners trapped underground.

20 miners were originally reported dead but six more bodies were found Sunday. At the time of the explosion, 276 miners were in the mine. However 239 were able to escape.

No news has been released regarding the 11 men still missing.

Rescuers believe the missing miners may be within 100 meters of the surface, according to RTE News, but the 2500 tons of coal dust kicked up by the explosion is hindering rescue efforts.

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/44410/

[blondeatlast]

2. For hope and solidarity...

Thanks for the link and backstory, too. :cry:

[pinboy3niner]

3. For hope and solidarity...

My paternal grandfather was a Welsh coal miner who ended up in this country working the mines in PA. I never got to meet him, as he died young.

In the '80s I came to know some Vietnam vets who were coal miners in Ohio. Thankfully, they're all out of the mines now.

I hope against hope that there's still a chance for the trapped Chinese miners. The second news story (linked in Post #1) reports:

China's mines are the most dangerous in the world due to lax safety standards and a rush to feed demand from a robust economy, according to NTDTV.

More than 2,600 people died in coal mine accidents in 2009 alone. So far this year, more than 500 deaths have been reported.

Two years ago, an explosion at the same mine killed 23 people.

[proteus_lives]

5. 2600 in 2009 alone? Fuck!

People's Republic my ass.

[pinboy3niner]

4. UPDATE: Death toll now 31, 6 still trapped

China Coal Mine Gas Leak Update: 31 miners dead, 6 workers still trapped

The China state media Xinhua has reported a total of 31 fatalities in the coal mine gas leak in central China. Six miners are still trapped inside the mine, but there is now a very slim chance of their survival.

While 276 miners are working underground, a gas leak occurred in Henan province. There are 239 miners who have managed to escape the gas leaked mine.

http://www.batangastoday.com/china-coal-mine-gas-leak-update-31-miners-dead-6-workers-still-trapped/4518/



Associated Press
A young relative grieves for a miner who was killed by an explosion in a state-run coal mine in China.

[pinboy3niner]

6. UPDATE: Death Toll From Chinese Mine Explosion Rises To 32

Death Toll From Chinese Mine Explosion Rises To 32
October 18, 2010 3:48 p.m. EST
Windsor Genova - AHN News News Writer

Beijing, China (AHN) - Rescuers found six more bodies from a coal mine pit in central China’s Henan province on Monday bringing to 32 the number of miners killed by an avalanche of coal dust at the site.

More than 300 rescuers are searching for five miners still missing....

Read more: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7020253832?Death%20Toll%20From%20Chinese%20Mine%20Explosion%20Rises%20To%2032#ixzz12kTKifjR

[pinboy3niner]

7. UPDATE, XINHUA NEWS: Rescue efforts speeding up

Excerpt from Xinhua's latest report:

More than 2,500 tonnes of coal dust smothered the pit after the gas leak, which hampered the rescue, said Du Bo, deputy chief of the rescue headquarters.

The rescue efforts, however, are speeding up after the underground transport, power and ventilation systems have been restored, said Du.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-10/18/c_13563378.htm

[Starry Messenger]

8. Thank you for the reporting, pinboy3niner

Solidarity to the fallen miners.

[pinboy3niner]

9. UPDATE: TOLL RISES TO 37 AS LAST 5 MINERS FOUND DEAD

Toll rises to 37 as last five trapped miners confirmed dead in China coal mine gas leak
2010-10-19 13:15:04

YUZHOU, Henan, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- The final death toll from a coal mine gas leak in central China's Henan Province has risen to 37 after bodies of the last five miners trapped underground were found, rescuers said Tuesday.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-10/19/c_13564414.htm

R.I.P.

:patriot:


Associated Press
A young relative grieves for a miner who was killed by an explosion in a state-run coal mine in China.

[pinboy3niner]

10. ...

[pinboy3niner]

11. UPDATE: Chinese angry at mine deaths, compare tragedy to Chile mine rescue

Chinese anger at 37 coal mine deaths
By Malcolm Moore, Shanghai
Published: 1:50PM BST 19 Oct 2010

Thirty seven miners trapped after an explosion at a Chinese coal mine have been confirmed dead, prompting comparisons to the Chilean mine rescue and triggering anger at China's inability to ensure mine safety.
<snip>

There was no rescue equipment in the tunnels, no food or water and most of the time, the safety zones were filled with scrap metal and debris. Also, the ventilation fans were not strong enough to circulate the air sufficiently," said Chen Jiaguo, one of the survivors, to the Beijing News.
<snip>

Chinese censors, keen to play down the incident, removed all but 700 out of 24,000 comments on Netease, and restricted the news of the deaths to short bulletins.
<snip>

Although China's mine safety has improved from the low point of 2002, when 7,000 deaths were recorded, the death toll has begun to tick up again and reached 2,600 last year.



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/8072975/Chinese-anger-at-37-coal-mine-deaths.html

It appears Chinese authorities have also scrubbed the Xinhua News site of all news of this mine disaster, even while links to more deadly mine accidents in the past remain up. When I checked, only one link remained to news of this mine blast--and it was broken.

[maddezmom]

12. thanks for all the updates

I missed this story the past couple of days. Horrible tragedy and barely a mention in the MSM on TV. :(

[Desertrose]

13. So very sad...especially after the rescue of the Brazilian miners....

What a shame...what a crime!

[pinboy3niner]

14. And what a stark contrast with the attention given the Chile miner rescue

Much of that is due to the fact that China is heavily censoring news of this. Outside China, the MSM reported it--in very brief stories limited to the few details China made available. Chinese authorities appear to fear a backlash, especially with the timing--back-to-back with the Chilean miner rescue--and China's atrocious mine safety record.

I think I'll post an OP on the last story in the morning, when it might be noticed. And I'll highlight the contrast between these two mining accidents, the Chinese censorsip, and the difference in media coverage.

[maddezmom]

15. I look forward to your OP

:hug: