Four workers die in coal mine explosion

Methane gas released from a pit at the Khe Tam coal mine in Quang Hanh Ward, Cam Pha City, Quang Ninh Province, exploded yesterday morning, killing four workers on the spot.

Methane gas released from a pit at the Khe Tam coal mine in Quang Hanh Ward, Cam Pha City, Quang Ninh Province, exploded yesterday morning, killing four workers on the spot.

The entrance of the pit where the explosion occurred yesterday, killing four workers

At 5:30 am on Monday, while six workers were installing a rack system and checking the electrical system 150 meters deep in a coal pit, they heard a loud explosion and saw a large flame break out, while the pit began to collapse.

Two of the six workers managed to escape from the debris, while the remaining four were buried under it.

Rescuers were sent to the scene but they faced numerous difficulties due to the high temperatures caused by the fire.

It was not until 11 am that they found the first body. The three other bodies were removed from the collapsed pit at 5:30 pm, when the heat at the scene had finally dropped significantly.

The dead victims were Tran Van Trinh, 25, from Thai Binh Province; Nguyen The Anh, 23, of Vinh Phuc Province; Le Kim Long, 27, of Thanh Hoa Province; and Hoang Van Trong, 25, also of Thanh Hoa.

All four were electricians of the 86 One-member Limited Liability Company, under the Northeast Coal Corporation, which operates the mine.

The relatives of the four dead workers have received their bodies and brought them to their home land for burial.

The provincial authorities gave VND6 million (US$288) as initial support to each family.

Police and other concerned agencies are investigating the cause of the explosion.