11-28-2005

中國煤礦爆炸88人喪生 (China Coal Mine Blast Kills 88)

中國國營媒體報導，中國東北黑龍江省一座煤礦發生爆炸，已知有88名礦工喪生，36人仍被困在井下。

官方電臺說，星期天晚上，七台河市東風煤礦發生爆炸的時候，井下有221名礦工，只找到97名生還者。在通風系統恢復之後，救援人員已經進入豎井搜救被困的礦工。爆炸導致通風系統關閉。

中國媒體說，這座煤礦屬於國營的“黑龍江龍煤集團”，執照齊全。中國的採礦業是世界上最危險的。許多礦井對安全標準不重視，塌方、爆炸、透水和火災頻繁發生。

China's state-run media say 88 workers are known dead and 36 remain trapped after an explosion in a coal mine in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang.

State radio says 221 miners were working at the time of the blast late Sunday at the Dongfeng mine in Qitaihe. Only 97 miners have been found alive. Rescue workers entered the mine shaft to search for survivors after the ventilation systems were restored. The systems had been shut down by the explosion.

Chinese news reports say the mine was properly licensed, as part of Heilongjiang Longmei Group， a state-owned mining conglomerate. China's mining industry is the world's most dangerous. Many mines devote little attention to safety standards, resulting in frequent cave-ins, explosions, floods and fires.

伊朗南部發生大地震十人死亡 (Earthquake Hits Southern Iran, 10 Dead)

伊朗一處人口稀少的地區星期天發生大地震，造成至少十人死亡，若干人受傷。

官員說，這次5點9級地震的震中靠近波斯灣的格什姆島與大陸城市阿巴斯。他們說，島上有幾棟土磚房被震毀。當地醫院擠滿了受傷的人，有些人被空運到大陸接受治療。

最初的地震發生幾個小時後，當地又發生了5點4級的余震。卡什姆是伊朗在波斯灣最大的島嶼，島上有10萬人居住。今年2月，伊朗發生的6點4級地震造成600多人喪生。兩年前，東南城市巴姆被一場6點7級的地震夷為平地，3萬1千多人喪生。

A powerful earthquake shook a sparsely-populated area of Iran Sunday, killing at least 10 people and injuring several others.

Officials say the 5.9 magnitude quake was centered near the Persian Gulf island of Qeshm and mainland city of Bandar Abbas. They say several mud-brick buildings on the island were destroyed. Local hospitals were full of injured people and some people were airlifted to the mainland for treatment.

Hours after the initial earthquake, a 5.4 magnitude aftershock rocked the area. Qeshm is the largest Iranian island in the Persian Gulf, and home to 100-thousand people. In February, a 6.4 magnitude quake in Iran killed more than 600 people. Two years ago, the southeastern city of Bam was leveled by a 6.7 magnitude quake that left more than 31-thousand dead.