China Coal Mine Blast Death Toll Climbs to 42

The coal mines in China's Heilongjiang province are known to attract illegal labor. Photo by BGNES

The death toll from a gas explosion in a coal mine in northeastern China has reached 42, the Chinese information agency Xinhua reports Saturday.

Another 66 to 70 people are believed to be still trapped inside the mine. Earlier reports listed the number of fatalities at 31 and 82 injured.

528 workers were in the mine in Heilongjiang province, near the border with Russia, at the time of the blast with more than 400 other miners reportedly managing to escape to safety.

China's coal mines are notoriously dangerous over lack of regulations, obsolete equipment and illegal labor. Last year alone, more than 3 000 people were killed in mining accidents.

 

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