Coal mine explosions kill 19
( 2003-12-08 15:12) (Xinhua)
The death toll in the coal mine explosions in Yuxian county of North China's Hebei Province has risen to 19.
The gas blast occurred at 11:03 a.m. Sunday at the Longtai Coal Mine when 29 miners were working about 380 meters underground. Nine miners were saved and others were stranded underground.
As of 8:00 p.m. Sunday, rescuers had found 16 bodies. By 2:50 a.m. Monday morning, rescuers found another three bodies.
On the death list, one was deputy manager of the mine, two were gas technicians. Most of these miners came from local areas, while some from Henan, Shanxi, Sichuan provinces and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Officials with the provincial government have arrived at the site to monitor rescue efforts and investigate the cause of the blast. All mines in the county have been closed for safety check so far.
The Longtai Coal Mine has an annual capacity of 50,000 tons. Enditem
Sixteen miners are dead and four missing following a coal mine gas explosion Sunday morning in north Hebei Province.
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