18 killed in Chinese mine blast

In China, eighteen coal miners have been killed in a gas explosion at a mine in the central province of Hunan.

A rescue team is at the site searching for three others who are missing.

The cause of the blast is still under investigation: all coal mines in the area have been ordered to stop production and carry out checks of safety measures and equipment.

China is the world's largest consumer and producer of coal, but its miners pay a heavy price, with several thousand killed each year in accidents. Last year, China introduced new safety rules and closed down about nine-thousand unsafe mines in order to reduce accidents.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service