Gas explosion at SW China coal mine kills 16

Gas explosion at SW China coal mine kills 16

2011-03-12 10:56:42 GMT+7 (ICT)

LIUPANSHUI, CHINA (BNO NEWS) -- At least 16 people were killed on early Saturday morning when a gas explosion ripped through a coal mine in southwestern China, officials said.

The country's State Administration of Work Safety said the explosion happened around 0.30 a.m. local time at a coal mine in Liupanshui, a city located in Guizhou Province. A total of 34 miners were inside the mine at the time of the explosion.

"Thirty-four people were in the mine [and] fifteen survived," the Administration said in a statement, adding that 16 others were killed while three others remain missing. Other details were not immediately released.

Safety conditions at mines in China have significantly improved in recent years, but they remain among the world's most dangerous with around 2,600 fatalities in 2009 alone.

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