Mine explosion claims 10 lives

　　TEN miners have been confirmed dead and one remains missing after a gas explosion Monday in a coal mine in Heilongjiang Province in northeastern China.Rescue teams have found 10 bodies in the Xingken Coal Mine in Jixi City and there is little hope for the survival of the missing worker, said a senior local officer in charge of the rescue work.The explosion, which occurred at about 4 a.m., has been blamed on the illegal resumption of production at the mine.In June, 115 workers were killed in an explosion at another Jixi mine. It was the fourth worst in China’s history, State media said.The climbing death toll and lax enforcement of safety rules have prompted authorities to close thousands of mines that lack even basic fire and ventilation equipment. (SD-Xinhua)