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Mine Explosion Kills 23 In China

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Sep 4, 2008 4:15 am US/Pacific

Mine Explosion Kills 23 In China

BEIJING (AP) ― A gas explosion inside a mine in northeast China on Thursday killed 23 people and trapped four others, local authorities and state media said.

The official Xinhua News Agency said the morning accident happened at a mine in Fuxin, a city in Liaoning province. Rescuers were searching for the trapped miners, Xinhua said, citing local authorities.

A spokesman at the Fuxin safety bureau confirmed the explosion but would not provide further details. The man, who refused to give his name, referred questions to the local coal mining bureau. A woman who answered the phone at the coal mining bureau hung up without answering questions.

China's coal mines are the world's deadliest, with numerous fires, floods and other disasters killing an average of 13 miners a day. Many accidents are blamed on small mines with low safety standards or those operating illegally.

The government has promised for years to improve mine safety, but energy-hungry China depends on coal for most of its power generation.

(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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