19 people dead after rock-burst in East China's mining facility

19 workers that were trapped due to a mining accident in 20 October 2018 in East China, are confirmed dead.

22 Miners were working inside a water drainage tunnel when coal fell at both ends due to rock burst, according to the official Xinhua news agency. At that time, more than 300 people were working inside the mine. About 170 rescuers rushed at the mine after the incident to search for survivors. In 29 of October, 19 people were reported dead while 2 were still considered trapped and only 1 was rescued. The fatal incident occurred in Yuncheng County in Shandong province. The mine is owned by Longyun Coal Mining Co.

Such accidents are common in China as mining industry does not fully comply with safety regulations. Efforts to improve safety conditions in coal mines and shut down illegal exploitation have been inadequate.

In 2016, 3 major fatal incidents were reported in China. 18 workers died in the north-western Ningxia region due to a mine blast, 33 miners were killed in the south-western municipality of Chongqing after a colliery explosion and 59 more were reported dead when explosions occurred in 2 coal mines in the Inner Mongolia region and in north-eastern Heilongjiang province.

China experiences a 28.7% decrease in deaths related with coal mining, China's National Coal Mine Safety Administration reports. However, according to the bureau of the organization "the situation of coal mine safety production is still grim".