BBC News | ASIA-PACIFIC | Chinese mine blast kills 40

BBC News Online: World: Asia-Pacific

Saturday, 22 April, 2000, 08:17 GMT 09:17 UK

Chinese mine blast kills 40

At least 40 miners have been killed in a gas blast in the northern Chinese province of Shanxi.

The explosion occurred on 15 April in the province's Linfen district.

China is the world's largest consumer and producer of coal, but its miners pay a heavy price.

More than 3,600 hundred were killed in accidents in the first nine months of last year alone.

Search continues

Rescue workers have recovered 40 bodies and are still searching for three miners unaccounted for. One miner was rescued two days after the blast.

Mine accidents in 2000
15 April: 40 miners die in Shanxi province
18 March: 27 killed in Heilongjiang province
8 March: 23 killed in explosions at two mines in Sichuan
11 January: 14 killed in Jiangsu province

The authorities are investigating what caused the explosion.

Reports in the Chinese press say the government has carried out wide-ranging safety meetings and mine inspections after a series of mine explosions earlier this year.

In some cases mine managers have been arrested.

Related to this story:
Chinese miners in mass riot (04 Apr 00 | Asia-Pacific)
Rescuers reach Chinese miners (16 Jan 00 | Asia-Pacific)
Ukraine mourns mine deaths (12 Mar 00 | Europe)
Entombed miners survive 27 days (09 Dec 98 | Asia-Pacific)
Coal-mine explosion in China kills 77 (30 Jan 98 | Asia-Pacific)
China mine blast kills at least 87 (17 Nov 97 | World)

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