At least 42 miners are dead and dozens still trapped underground after a coal mine blast in northern China early Saturday.
Xinhua said that 528 workers were in the mine in Heilongjiang province at the time of the gas explosion and that rescuers were searching for those trapped.
More than 400 other miners reportedly managed to escape the mine, in the region bordering Russia. The state-run Xinxing mine is the world’s deadliest. Authorities say parlous safety is improving, but hundreds still die in major accidents each year.
Last year alone, more than 3,000 people were killed in mining accidents. The latest blast happened at 2.30 local time on Saturday. In the first nine months of this year, China’s coal mines had 11 such incidents with 303 deaths. Gas explosions were the leading cause, the government said.
The government closed some 1,000 small mines in a recent safety drive, and says the number of miners killed has been reduced by hallf as a result.
Most workers escaped but many are still trapped about a third of a mile (500m) underground, Chinese media report. Many of the injured are being treated at the Hegang Mining Bureau Hospital.
Residents said the ground trembled when the blast occurred and what triggered the explotion is still unknown.
Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang visited some of miners recovering in hospital Saturday afternoon.
