Death toll in China mine blast rises to 43
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Rescuers gather to search for survivors at the Xiaojiawan coal mine after a gas explosion in Panzhihua in south-west China's Sichuan province on Aug 31, 2012. The death toll from a gas explosion at a Chinese coal mine has risen to 43, state media reported on Saturday, with three miners still remaining underground. -- PHOTO: AFP
BEIJING (AFP) - The death toll from a gas explosion at a Chinese coal mine has risen to 43, state media reported on Saturday, with three miners still remaining underground.
Mr Yang Dongliang, head of the State Administration of Work Safety (Saws), said the number of deaths had increased and that rescuers were looking for the three trapped miners, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
The explosion occurred late on Wednesday at Xiaojiawan mine in south-west China's Sichuan province and marked the latest in a string of fatal incidents for an industry known for poor safety.
The death toll matches that from a blast at a mine in November 2011 in south-western Yunnan province.
