Anything Under the Sun

(Some miners escaped the blast)

An explosion at a coalmine in northern China has killed at least 27 miners with rescuers still working to free another seven people who are trapped.

A number of other miners either escaped or were rescued after the explosion on Friday morning in Shanxi Province.

China's coalmines are the deadliest in the world, with an average of 10 miners killed every day last year.

Elsewhere in Shanxi, a landslide buried a brick factory, killing 19 workers, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

More than 300 people and 20 bulldozers are being used in the rescue effort at the site, a mountain near Shang'an village, officials said.

Source: BBC News

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Opinion: Blast in China mine kills dozens

The explosion in China is purely tragic for the families of the people who died and those who were injured. It is a common knowledge to everyone that all mines are hazardous, especially coalmines because of the presence of combustible substances: coal and gas. Being a miner is a very dangerous job for your health as well as welfare.The accident reinforces the importance of recognizing the potential hazards in underground coal mining, and the need for systematic safety and health vigilance.

It is horrifying to lose someone's life during their work, making efforts to dig and discover resources for their country to prosper. Miners should be admired by people despite that they are the kind of manpower who destroys the nature. It is difficult to imagine them stuck in underground with soil, seeking for help and assurance as well as thinking if they will survive or not.

The experience from the accident is very essential for mine companies to ensure the safety of their workers through researching more on the mechanisms they are using. They should provide more applicable and safe devices that cannot tend to harm the nature as well as their people. They should also be cautious and careful to check on the safety of the location so that as far as it follows, their would be less damage and safer mining activities.