ALXA LEAGUE, China (AP) A team searching for 47 people missing after an open-pit mine collapse in northern China had to change drilling methods to avoid further landslides, state media said Friday. reported to
Six people were confirmed dead and six injured were rescued at a mine in Inner Mongolia’s Al Shah League as of Thursday night, broadcaster CCTV said.
If there is a large collapse in the mine, excavating with an excavator or bulldozer may cause further collapse. Crew members are drilling in layers and making trapezoidal descents to continue the search from both sides of the mountain in line with rescue plans, the report said.
On Friday, workers were seen searching the top floor of a site where heavy machinery collapsed, searching for trapped vehicles and missing persons. “It is very difficult to carry out rescue operations. Rescuers are rushing to the scene from everywhere, including neighboring areas.”
The first collapse of one of his pit walls occurred around 1:00 pm. People and mining trucks were buried under masses of rocks and sand on Wednesday. A short video of the collapse published on the Beijing Times website shows a massive wall of reddish dirt or sand falling off a cliff onto mining vehicles driving below.
According to CCTV, 1,160 rescue workers were currently at the scene. They were seen using heavy equipment, shovels and rescue dogs to search for miners. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for a “massive” search and rescue operation.
Emergency Management Minister Wang Xiangxi said the authorities should investigate the disaster and hold everyone responsible accountable.
Authorities in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region also issued emergency notices, urging all districts to conduct security checks and eliminate all hidden risks, according to a local state-run newspaper.All levels of government have learned lessons from the collapse. , said plans for inspections of open pit mines in the area must begin immediately. Anyone who disobeyed and caused an accident would be held accountable, she added. Security remained at checkpoints between Inner Mongolia and neighboring Ningxia on Friday. His two police officers in yellow vests checked vehicles attempting to pass through what he called a “no-go zone.”
Some trucks were stopped from progressing, but others were allowed, including emergency vehicles with sirens going very fast and trucks carrying rescue supplies. The checkpoint seemed quieter than the day before.
The mine operator, Inner Mongolia Xinjing Soot Industry Co., Ltd., was fined last year for multiple safety violations, including unsafe routes, storage of dangerous volatiles and lack of safety training, according to news website The Paper.
