42 dead, 66 trapped in China mine blast
Saturday, 21 November 2009A gas explosion has killed 42 miners in a Chinese mine and left 66 miners trapped hundreds of metres underground.
The blast ripped through the mine when there were 528 people at work, but more than 400 have now got out safely, the official Xinhua news agency said.
The blast was so violent it shook the surrounding area and some buildings near the mine mouth have partially collapsed.
The Xinxing mine is in Heilongjiang province, which borders Russia. It is owned by the Heilongjiang Longmei Mining Holding Group, and produces 12 million tonnes of coal a year, Xinhua said, making it larger than most mines where accidents occur.
Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang is heading to the site of the accident, and Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao have given instructions about the rescue work - a sign of official concern about the latest in a long string of disasters.
Rescue teams are on site, with 156 people hunting for the missing miners, state television said.
More than 3,000 people died in mine floods, explosions, collapses and other accidents in 2008.
