China: 18 miners trapped after gold mine collapse

Eighteen people remain trapped in a gold mine after it caved in China's northwestern province of Xinjiang.

A total of 40 workers were inside the mine when it collapsed. Twenty two miners were immediately brought to safety.

Xinhua news agency reported, "A rescue operation is underway to retrieve the remaining miners," late Sunday.

The cause of the accident remains unknown.

China's fatal mines

China has one of the world's largest mining industries and is the world's biggest coal producer.

However, Chinese mines are considered extremely dangerous. Miners die frequently due to poor safety precautions and a lack of supervision.

Despite increased miner safety and media coverage of major incidents, many of which were once overlooked, fatal incidents continue to occur.

China's abandoned coal miners

Last September, 19 miners were found dead after they were stranded following the collapse of a coal mine in the Qinghai region.

In December 2021, two miners died after a coal mine flooded in northern Shanxi province.  Twenty others were rescued.