Beijing (AsiaNews) - A coal mine blast in central China killed at least 15 people, including two rescuers trying to save trapped miners, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Wednesday.
The explosion at 4:50 p.m. (0850 GMT) Tuesday in Shaanxi province occurred as 85 miners were working underground, the agency said. Most were rescued alive.
Besides the 15 confirmed dead, seven people remained missing in the mine Wednesday morning as search efforts continued, Xinhua said.
The mine, owned by the Huangling Mining Co. Ltd., began operating in 2001. It has an annual capacity of 6 million tons.
China's mines are the world's deadliest, with 6,702 deaths reported last year due to explosions, cave-ins and other disasters. Lax safety rules and poor equipment are often blamed. International organizations denounce a much higher death rate.