19 dead in Shanxi mine blast
03/07/2005 - 10:05:34A gas explosion at an illegal coal mine in central China killed 19 workers, the official Xinhua News Agency said today.
Thirty-four miners were underground when the accident occurred at the Jiajiapu Coal Mine in Shanxi province on Saturday, the report said. Fifteen workers escaped unharmed.
The mine was operating without official permits, it said.
China’s mines are the world’s most dangerous with fires, floods and other mishaps killing workers almost every day. Lax safety rules and a lack of proper safety equipment are often to blame.
