China gas blasts kill nine miners, 19 missing

Shanghai, Apr 21: Nine miners have been killed and 19 are missing after two gas explosions at coal mines in northeastern China's Hebei Province, the official Xinhua news agency reported today.

In the first blast, which occured at the state-owned Dashucun mine in Handan city in the early hours of Thursday morning, nine miners were killed and another eight were missing, Xinhua said, citing local work safety authorities.

Another 11 miners were trapped in the Tao'er coal mine, also in Handan, after an explosion yesterday noon, Xinhua said.

Rescue operations have been slow and careful in order to avoid new blasts, it said.

China has the world's deadliest coal mines. Last year, 4,746 workers were killed in mine blasts, floods and collapses as collieries pushed production beyond safety limits to meet demand from the booming economy.

Reuters