At least six miners were killed and another 12 injured in a gas explosion at a coalmine in south China, Chinese web portal Sina reported on Sunday.
The incident occurred early on Sunday at the Xinglong coalmine in the Guizhou province. A total of 35 coalminers were underground when the explosion occurred, the web portal said.
Twenty-two miners were able to get to the surface on their own while another twelve were rescued. However, five of those rescued died on their way to hospital while one miner was found dead in the mine, the web portal said.
An investigation into the incident has been launched, the web portal said.
The coal industry in energy-hungry China is one of the most dangerous in the world due to poor work safety standards and intensive work schedules. Some 7,000 lives are lost annually in accidents at coal mines in the country.
BEIJING, October 3 (RIA Novosti)
