Work team sent to Inner Mongolia to guide rescue efforts

A working team has been dispatched to north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region after a coal mine collapsed in Alxa League.

The working team sent by the Ministry of Emergency Management

urged all-out efforts to search for the missing personnel without delay, and not to lose hope of finding them.

Saving lives is still the top priority, the work team said, adding that efforts should also be made to prevent secondary disasters.

Meanwhile, the work team called for comprehensive investigations and governance on major potential safety hazards of coal mines.

The collapse happened at the open-pit mine in Alxa League around 1 p.m. Wednesday. So far, four people have been confirmed dead and 49 others remain missing.