The State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS) reported on its website Tuesday that a total of 244 of the miners trapped underground in the Sunjiawan colliery explosion had been found as of 11:50 PM Monday night. The confirmed death toll now stands at 214, with 30 injured.
Previous reports had indicated that 29 miners were injured, but no specific information was provided about finding another survivor.
The explosion occurred at about 3:00 PM February 14, when 574 miners were at work in the shaft. Only 330 escaped.
The Sunjiawan colliery employs 3,100 workers and operates two mines. The Haizhou coal mine, where the disaster took place, produces 1.5 million tons of coal annually.
(Xinhua News Agency February 22, 2005)
