BEIJING, June 13 (RIA Novosti) - Forty-three miners were left trapped underground after a coal mine blast in northern China Shanxi province on Friday, news agency Xinhua reported.
The blast occurred at about 11 a.m. local time in the Anxin mine in the city of Xiaoyi. A total of 58 people were working underground at the time of the blast, of whom 15 have been rescued, the agency said, citing local officials.
China's coal mining industry is considered the world's most dangerous with over 3,000 people killed each year in fires, floods, explosions and rockfalls. The deadliest accidents usually occur in small privately-owned mines in autumn and winter as owners increase coal production during the winter season.
