A blast left 46 people dead as explosives went off in a coal mine in the central Chinese city of Pingdingshan early on Monday, Xihnua said citing local authorities.
A total of 72 people were in the mine when the blast occurred, 26 managed to escape.
The coal industry in energy-hungry China is one of the most dangerous in the world due to poor work safety standards and intensive work schedules. Some 7,000 lives are lost annually in accidents at coal mines in the country.
MOSCOW, June 21 (RIA Novosti)
