Six killed in fire at gold mine in eastern China

ZHAOYUAN, Shandong: Six people were killed in a fire at a gold mine in eastern China's Shandong province, state media reported on Wednesday (Feb 17), with the local government announcing a new campaign to shut down unsafe facilities following recent accidents.

The fire occurred at around 6am during maintenance at the Caojiawa gold mine in the city of Zhaoyuan, the official Xinhua news agency reported, citing local authorities.

Ten miners were trapped by the fire, Xinhua said, with four who were rescued sent to hospital for medical treatment.

The fire was the second major incident at a Shandong gold mine in little over a month.

In January, 11 workers trapped by an explosion at the Hushan mine were dramatically pulled out alive after spending two weeks underground. At least 10 miners were killed, however, prompting authorities to launch more safety inspections.

READ: Trapped for 2 weeks, 11 workers rescued from China gold mine

READ: Nine trapped Chinese miners confirmed dead, one still missing

The Shandong province emergency bureau said it would begin a "comprehensive and thorough" inspection programme lasting until the end of March to tackle safety risks at all its non-coal mines. Those that fail the inspection will be closed.

China's mines are among the world's deadliest. The country recorded 573 mine-related deaths in 2020, according to the National Mine Safety Administration.