9. Coal Mine Explosion, Salinas, Mexico
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| Young Mexican miner hauling coal out of a mine shaft. Image credit: Mexico National Commission on Human Rights. |
On May 3, 2011, a coal mine in Sabinas, Mexico exploded killing 14 miners and injuring one. Safety standards in Mexico's coal industry are less than adequate. Small coal mines often escape inspection and fall outside of any regulation. Workers are usually teenagers under 18, equipped with basic tools and no helmets. As a result, major accidents such as the one in Sabinas are not uncommon. In 2006, a coal mine explosion killed 65 miners -- the worst in Mexico's history. Since 2006, it is believed another 40 people have been killed in local mines.
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