4 dead, 57 trapped in China coal mine rock blast

Associated Press, China | Fri, 11/04/2011 10:36 AM

Rescuers were working Friday to try to save 57 miners who were trapped in a coal mine in central China after a rock explosion that followed a small earthquake, state media reported. Four miners were killed in the blast.

The accident in the coal mine in the city of Sanmenxia in Henan province occurred Thursday evening when 75 miners were working in the shaft, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Fourteen workers escaped.

At least 200 workers were digging a small rescue tunnel about 1,650 feet (500 meters) deep to try to reach the trapped miners, the People's Daily newspaper's website said.

The Qianqiu Coal Mine belongs to Yima Coal Group, a large state-owned coal company in Henan, the State Administration of Work Safety said on its website.

Xinhua said a magnitude-2.9 earthquake occurred to the east of Sanmenxia and that the rock explosion happened about 30 minutes later.

The phenomenon known as a "rock burst" occurs when settling layers of earth bear down on the walls of a mine and result in a sudden, catastrophic release of stored energy. Exploding pillars can turn chunks of rock or coal into deadly missiles, and the shock waves alone can be lethal.

The survival of the trapped miners depends on the intensity of the rock explosion and the rescuers' ability to provide ventilation to them, a local official told The Associated Press.

"If it was not very strong, it might have caused the tunnel to get narrower, but we might still be able to send some air in there to ensure ventilation," said the Yima city Communist Party's head of propaganda, who would give only his surname, Tian, as is common with Chinese officials.

15 injured, one dead in Cirebon blast

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 04/15/2011 1:37 PM | Archipelago

 A bomb exploded in a mosque in the Cirebon Police complex at 12:15 p.m. on Friday, leaving one person dead and injuring at least 15 others.

According to a report on tempointeraktif.com, the injured victims have been taken to the Pelabuna Cirebon Hospital and Tentara Cermai Hospital.

The bomb exploded when the mosque congregation, mainly comprising police officers, was performing their Friday prayers.

At the time of the report, several military police officers were inspecting the scene.

According to a Metro TV news report, the dead victim is believed to have been the bomber. One of the injured victims was the chief of Cirebon Police.

Cirebon Police chief back on his feet after blast

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 04/15/2011 2:03 PM | Archipelago

Cirebon Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Herukoco was still able to “walk and communicate” despite suffering injuries in a bomb blast at a mosque in the Cirebon Police compound.

“The police chief was still able to walk and communicate,” Cirebon mayor Subardi said, as reported by kompas.com.

Subardi, however, did not mention the degree of injury the Herkoco had suffered.

Cirebon Police compound is in the process of being evacuated by police. Journalists at the location have been ordered to wait at the gate.

“I could only see an ambulance with “police” written on it rushing in and out of the complex,” a reporter working for Kompas daily, Rini Kustiasih, said as reported by kompas.com.

Cirebon blast was suicide bombing: Police

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 04/15/2011 2:26 PM | Archipelago

The National Police says the bombing of a mosque in Cirebon Police complex which exploded at 12:50 p.m on Friday is believed to have been a suicide attack.

A man entered the mosques while the prayers were taking place and “his body exploded”, police spokesman Insp. Gen. Anton Bachrul Alam said Friday.

“It is suspected this was a [suicide attack],” Anton said, as reported on MetroTV news.

He added the police were conducting an investigation of the scene. At the time of the report the remains of the suspected bomber had not been removed from the scene.

Aside from the suspected suicide bomber (who died in the blast) injured victims included the chief of Cirebon Police, its traffic unit chief, internal affairs officers as well as members of the public who were at the mosque for Friday prayers, Anton said.

He added that the type of the bomb had not been identified, but said “it was clearly a suicide bomb”.