Support teams aid grieving victim families

Special support is being extended to the families of the 82 people killed in Friday’s deadly mine accident in Shanxi province, as rescuers continue to work around the clock to search for the two missing miners on Monday and the process of ensuring every possible aid for the families of the victims progresses steadily.

A gas explosion struck the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan county of Changzhi in Shanxi province at 7:29 pm on Friday, killing 82, while two remained missing.

A total of 128 people were injured and were receiving hospital treatment, including two in critical condition and two in serious condition. Another 35 people with minor injuries have returned home.

Dedicated support teams have been assigned to each victim’s family. The teams have been offering emotional support and psychological counseling to help ease the pain of losing a loved one, Feng Ru, a member of the support teams, told China Daily on Monday.

“The support teams are in the process of gathering detailed information about family structure, household income and the concerns of the victims’ families, which can help in carrying out more effective follow-up actions,” Feng said.

He added that it is essential not only to ensure that families receive adequate compensation in a timely manner, but also to provide emotional support and long-term care.

On Monday, surveillance video footage that caught the exact moment of the explosion was made public. It showed that dust and smoke from the powerful blast engulfed the mine shaft within seconds and were visible near the surface within a minute.

When a gas explosion occurs in a confined space, the resulting shock wave can cause severe injuries to the human body and also lead to the collapse of the structure, which can crush people, said Huo Kaifeng, a veteran mine rescue expert.

“After the explosion, the temperature shoots up, causing burns and scalding. Additionally, a gas explosion produces carbon monoxide, and oxygen levels in the confined space rapidly fall, leading to suffocation. Typically, such explosions occur without much warning, leaving very limited time for people to escape,” Huo said.

On Monday, the search for the missing miners continued in treacherous conditions created by cave-ins and flooding in the tunnels.

At a meeting on work safety on Sunday attended by top officials of Shanxi province, including Tang Dengjie, Party secretary of the province, officials said the accident resulted in heavy casualties, exposing numerous weaknesses in the province’s work safety system. The cost was extremely severe, and the lessons learned are profound. MDT/Xinhua