China mine explosion kills 16

A gas explosion in a coal mine in China is reported to have killed 16 people.

According to the Xinhua News Agency, the accident happened in Jiangxi province as maintenance was being carried out on the mine.

Fifteen of the dead are believed to have been killed instantly, another died later in hospital.

China has the biggest mining industry in the world, with a record of more than 5,000 accidental deaths last year.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service