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Toll rises to 21 in Liaoning coal mine explosion

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-08-20 13:53

SHENYANG - Chinese rescuers on Tuesday recovered 11 more bodies of miners killed in a gas blast at a coal mine in northeast China, bringing the death toll to 21.

Faku County Government officials on Wednesday said eight bodies were found on Tuesday afternoon and three more that evening from the pit on the outskirts of Shenyang, capital of Liaoning Province.

Thirty-seven miners were caught in the explosion, which happened at about 8:50 a.m. on Monday while 81 miners were underground, said Lang Yaoyun, director of the provincial coal mine safety bureau.

Fourteen miners were brought out of the pit late on Monday and taken to hospital where two of them died.

Three of the injured were described as critical and five were seriously hurt. They mostly sustained fractures, burns and respiratory tract injuries, said Xu Chengben, county health bureau director.

The search for the four miners still trapped is continuing. Rescue workers, however, warned their hope of survival is slim.

The fully-registered mine is a joint-stock company with an annual output of 100,000 tonnes. Established in 1976, it has 450 staff.