State media reported that the collapse occurred in Inner Mongolia Province, north China.
She said a large part of the open pit had collapsed.
Teams from the National Mine Safety Administration rushed to the scene to initiate rescue operations.
She stated that the mine is of the open type, meaning that it is a large hole, and not a tunnel extending underground.
According to the English-language Chinese newspaper “Global Times”, the collapse led to the burial of workers and vehicles in the place.
She added that the cause of the disaster has not yet been verified.
It said the number of missing workers is unknown.
However, Chinese state television later reported that the number of missing persons was 57, indicating that 200 rescue personnel were working at the scene.
The past years have shown improvement in terms of safety in Chinese mines, but some accidents still occur, especially in remote areas where safety measures are tolerated.
#Disaster #China. #Collapse #dozens #missing