An explosion in a coal mine in central China killed 13 miners who were working despite an order to halt production at the site, state media reported today in the latest tragedy to strike the country's accident-ridden mining industry.
Another 20 miners survived the blast that struck on Tuesday evening at the operation in Henan province's Mianchi County, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
Xinhua gave no indication of the cause of the explosion. Most such accidents are usually blamed on a buildup of coal gas or methane ignited by sparks or open flames.
China's coal mines are the world's deadliest, and thousands of miners are killed every year. Massive demand for coal induces many producers to cut corners and sidestep regulations, although authorities have been able to reduce fatalities considerably through improved safety and the closure of small, often unlicensed mines.
Xinhua said 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 reorganised. It was unclear why the mine was still in operation.
With an annual production of 150,000 tonnes of coal, the mine is typical of the mid-size operations that China has been seeking to consolidate into safer, more efficient operations.
