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Explosion kills 46 miners
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FORTY-SIX miners were killed and two others are missing following a gas explosion at an illegal coal mine in northern China, State media reported yesterday.
The blast occurred on Saturday morning at the Xiayukou mine in Hancheng, Shaanxi Province, the Beijing Morning Post said.
Only four miners survived out of the 52 working underground at the time of the explosion, the daily said.
Rescuers have recovered 46 bodies, but two other miners were still missing.
The paper said the private mine was operating illegally. The mine is located in coal deposits rich in gas, making mining exceptionally dangerous.
The provincial mining bureau has ordered the suspension of work at all mines located on the deposit in order to improve safety, according to the daily.
An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the explosion.
The Xiayukou mine is about 100 kilometres from a mine where an explosion killed 38 people early this month. Saturday's blast is the sixth reported in the official press since the start of the year.
China is the world's number one producer and consumer of coal.(SD-Agencies)
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