08/12/2010 11:12
Coal mine explosion kills 26 in central China
An explosion at a coal mine in central China killed 26 miners who were working despite an order to halt production, China Central Television said.
Another 20 miners managed to escape from the mine, ITAR-TASS reports.
A police investigation is under way, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. Most such accidents are usually blamed on a buildup of coal gas or methane ignited by sparks or open flames.
The mine belonged to the Juyuan Coal Industry Co., a subsidiary of the state-owned Yi Ma Coal Industry Group, and had been ordered to halt extractions while its operations were reorganized, Xinhua said. It was unclear why the mine was still in operation.