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China mine blast kills 15

08 Mar 2007 00:13:32 GMT
Source: Reuters

BEIJING, March 8 (Reuters) - An explosion in a Chinese coal mine killed 15 miners, with investigators blaming faulty equipment for the country's latest addition to a grim record of industrial carnage, state media media reported.

The blast ripped through the mine in Shaodong county in south China's Hunan province on Tuesday after a build-up of gas, Xinhua news agency reported.

By late on Wednesday, rescuers had found the remains of 15 dead miners. Seventeen miners survived, Xinhua reported. They were mostly local farmers.

"Damaged ventilation shafts and illegal electrical systems were believed to be the cause of the accident," Xinhua reported late on Wednesday, quoting officials.

The mine had been ordered to stop production last August, and lacked an operating licence and safety permit.

China has the world's deadliest major coal industry, and while mine deaths have been falling after a safety crackdown, accidents like the latest explosion remain commonplace.

Last year, 4,746 workers were killed in mine blasts, floods and collapses as collieries pushed production beyond safety limits amid buoyant demand.

Police have arrested two of the mine owners and were hunting its general manager, Xinhua said.

China plans to this year shut 4,000 inefficient and dangerous coal mines with combined annual capacity of about 100 million tonnes, the head of the State Administration of Work Safety said this week.

"We will shut more dangerous and polluting coal mines this year according to government regulations," Li Yizhong told reporters on the sidelines of China's annual parliament session.

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Last updated:Thu Mar 8 00:14:09 2007