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Chinese coal mine explosion: 12 killed and 4 injured

28 December 2009 16:06 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Ibad Bagirov â€“ APA. A powerful explosion took place yesterday in a mine in North Chinaâ€™s Shanxi province that killed 12 people and left four people injured. Five coal mine executives have been held in custody after the incident.

As per a spokesman with the Shanxi Provincial Work Safety Administration, the explosion occurred around 11.30 p.m. when 16 people were working in a shaft in the Donggou Colliery Co. Ltd. in Jiexiu city.

Miners in the mine have been working persistently to increase its annual production capacity from the authorized 30 tones. The workers violated a safety rule that restricted the demolition of a wall between the shaft and a disused area of the mine where the gas was accumulated in high density.

The four survivors are admitted in the hospital and their condition has been regularly monitored.