China Blames Coal Mine Flood on Negligence

Lapses in safety measures flooded a coal mine in Shanxi province and trapped 153 miners for three days, in what could become the country’s deadliest mining accident in more than two years, according to Bloomberg. The Wangjialing pit was overcrowded and the management did not evacuate workers despite reports of water inflow, according to the State Administration of Work Safety. No death toll has been reported. Up to 108 workers were confirmed to have escaped or were rescued when the accident took place on March 28, according to the agency. The incident at the pit owned by Huajin Coking Coal Co. could turn into China’s worst since August 2007, when a coal mine flooding killed 172 miners in the eastern province of Shandong.