Death toll from Chinese gas blast jumps to 42
Rescuers recovered more than 30 bodies at the site of a highway construction accident in southwestern China, bringing the death toll to 42, the government said today.
A gas explosion occurred yesterday in a tunnel under construction between Dujiangyan and Wenchuan in Sichuan province, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
Search and rescue operations were still underway, and the final number of casualties remained unclear, Xinhua said.
At least 11 people were injured, and most of the victims were construction workers, it said.
China’s government has repeatedly promised to make public safety a priority.
According to a Chinese official, industrial accidents claimed 136,700 lives last year.
