Missing sought at China mine collapse
ALXA LEAGUE, China — Work crews trying to find 47 people missing after a collapse at an open-pit mine in northern China have had to change their excavation methods to avoid causing more landslides, state media reported Friday.
Six people have been confirmed dead and six injured people have been rescued at the mine in Inner Mongolia’s Alxa League as of Thursday night, broadcaster CCTV said.
On Friday, heavy machines were seen working on the top level of the collapsed site, searching for trapped vehicles and missing persons.
The initial cave-in of one of the pit’s walls occurred Wednesday, burying people and mining trucks below in tons of rocks and sand. A subsequent landslide about five hours later halted rescue efforts before they resumed Thursday.
CCTV said 1,160 rescuers were currently at the scene. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for an “all-out” search-andrescue effort.
Wang Xiangxi, minister of emergency management, said authorities should investigate the disaster and hold accountable anyone who was responsible for it.
Authorities in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region also issued an urgent notice asking all districts to perform safety checks and eliminate any hidden risks, according to a local state newspaper.
Security remained tight Friday at a checkpoint between Inner Mongolia and the neighboring region of Ningxia.