Blast in Chinese mine kills many

Some miners escaped the blast

Rescue workers hindered by high toxic gas levels have abandoned a search for seven trapped miners after a coalmine explosion in China killed 27 workers.

Emergency agencies at the colliery in the northern province of Shanxi have recovered 27 bodies. The fate of the remaining seven is unknown.

The search was halted after explosives and detonators were found.

China's coalmines are the deadliest in the world, with an average of 10 miners killed every day last year.

Elsewhere in Shanxi, a landslide buried a brick factory, killing 19 workers, Chinese state media said.

More than 300 people and 20 bulldozers are being used in the rescue effort at the site, a mountain near Shang'an village, officials said.

Safety checks

Dozens of rescue workers had also been working at the mine outside Xiaoyi.

Fifty-eight people were underground when the blast occurred at about 1100 local time (0300 GMT) on Friday.

Fifteen miners managed to escape by themselves and nine were pulled out alive by rescuers.

Pictures from the scene showed emergency workers bandaging the eyes of rescued miners and rushing them to hospital.

The mine was properly licensed and had passed safety checks earlier in the year, China's state news agency reports.

Its operator has told local government authorities that the blasting of explosives under the mine's main shaft caused the incident, Xinhua reported.

Critics say China's soaring demand for fuels leads many mine-owners to ignore safety concerns in an attempt to increase production.

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Rescued miners reach the surface