10 Killed in Mountain Avalanche in China

On Saturday, a mountainside collapse at a coal mine site in China killed 10 people and injured 7 others, according to CCTV.

The channel said the accident occurred around 11:15 a.m. local time (0315 GMT) in Baiyin city in Gansu Province, northwestern China, adding that rescue operations have ended.

CCTV explained that employees were moving around the site of the mine "when the foot of a mountain near the mine collapsed", which led to "the burial of employees in addition to vehicles."

In total, 17 people were trapped.

A final toll issued on Saturday evening, after the last body was found, stated that "10 people were killed and 7 were slightly injured," according to public television, quoting local authorities.

The channel added that an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the incident.

Mine safety has improved in recent decades in China, as has media coverage of accidents, many of which were previously ignored.

However, such incidents still occur constantly due to the danger associated with the sector and sometimes indiscriminate application of safety instructions.

Last September, the bodies of 19 miners were found trapped underground after a coal mine collapsed in Qinghai Province (northwest) after a long search.

In early 2021, rescue workers found 11 miners alive out of a total of 22 after an explosion occurred in a mine in eastern Shandong Province, trapping them for two weeks at a depth of hundreds of meters.