Thursday's gas explosion in Henan killed 19.
3:00 AM Sunday Apr 4, 2010BEIJING: The first group of rescuers and divers entered a flooded Chinese mine last night where 153 workers have been trapped for almost a week, with two returning within hours and calling the situation underground "very difficult".
There were no further signs of life from underground after tapping was heard on Friday.
The two divers said the water was murky and complicated efforts to reach the place where rescuers hope to find survivors. Two other divers and seven rescuers were still in the mine late last night.
The first team had been expected to explore conditions underground before more rescuers are sent.
The soonest that any large-scale rescue effort can be launched is later today, a spokesman at rescue headquarters said....
China to launch nationwide campaign to inspect work safety (click here)
English.news.cn 2010-04-04 02:42:09BEIJING, April 3 (Xinhua) -- China will launch a two-month campaign to inspect work safety nationwide on April 5, according to the work safety commission of the State Council, or the Cabinet.
Serious accidents took place in succession in some areas and industries recently, which shows negligence and loopholes in work safety management and serious violations to laws and regulations, said a circular issued by the commission.
The inspection would focus on work safety in mines, the chemical industry, transportation and fire-works mills, among others.
The campaign would include self-examination by enterprises, government inspection and public supervision.
Enterprises are required to complete self-examination in April and local governments to conduct inspection in May, while the commission would dispatch supervision teams to check their work.
The nationwide campaign comes days after 153 coal miners were trapped in a flooded coal mine in north China's Shanxi Province, which will be China's worst mining disaster in more than two years if the miners cannot be saved.
