A gas explosion at a coal mine in central China has killed 28 miners, the official Xinhua news agency reported yesterday, the latest in a series of accidents to hit the country’s mining industry.

One person was also still trapped following the blast, which happened on Saturday at the Xialiuching Coal Mine in Hengyang city, Hunan province

The bodies of all the dead had been recovered. Six miners had been rescued and were being treated in hospital to the relief of relatives, who had gathered outside the mine awaiting news.

A total of 35 miners were working in the mine at the time, the agency said, quoting local authorities. Rescue workers were still searching for the remaining trapped worker.

The mine, which was owned by the city government, was legally registered, but the provincial government suspended its production license earlier this year for lack of adequate safety measures, state television said.

The explosion occurred after sparks from machinery ignited flammable gas that had filled the mine. China's mining industry has a notoriously poor safety record. At least 19 people were killed earlier this month in similar explosions at two other mines.

Song Yuanming, the chief of the provincial coal mine safety bureau, told state broadcaster CCTV that there was a large outburst of gas in the mine 250 meters (820 feet) underground that was ignited by sparks produced by machines.

CCTV said that the mine's operating license had been revoked in the first half of this year because it did not adopt measures to pump out dangerous gases from underground, but that the mine continued production without permission.

China's coal mines are the most dangerous in the world. Demand for coal induces many producers to sidestep safety regulations, although conditions have improved and a number of small, illegal mines have been shut.

In 2010, 2433 people died in coalmine accidents in China, according to official statistics - a rate of more than six workers per day.

Point of view

In this case, management should be blame because of lack of safety. Management should always maintenance and always checks the machine.

Management should provide machine guarding to every machine. As an employee handling a machine, you are partially responsible for safety. Not only do you have to handle the equipment according to specification; you need to protect yourself against accidents. The Factory & Machinery Act 1967 says that dangerous part of machinery must be fenced and safely constructed. If this is not possible, a device must be fitted to machine to automatically prevent the operator from coming into contact with the dangerous component. The penalty under the Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA) for employees breaking the safety regulation is a fine not exceeding RM 1,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 3 months or both.