A gas blast at a highway construction site in Sichuan Province has killed at least 42 people and left 11 others injured, according to official media.

The explosion occurred at 2pm on 22 December in a highway tunnel under construction between the cities of Dujiangyan and Wenchuan.

Most of the victims were construction workers. Thirty-one bodies were found in an overnight search at the site of the accident, bringing the confirmed death toll up to 42.

The exact number of casualties was unclear, and work safety authorities there are investigating the cause of the explosion.

"China is known for its poor workplace standards, as pressure to mine resources and build roads and other infrastructure to keep pace with the demands of the world's fastest-growing major economy leads to compromises on safety," Reuters said.

China's mining industry is the world's deadliest, claiming 6,027 lives in 2004, according to government statistics. The real figure is widely believed to be much higher, however. In June 2004, China Labour Bulletin was unofficially told by a Chinese government source in Europe that the real figure could be "at least 20,000 a year," since many deaths are covered up or not recorded.

The International Labour Organization estimated the number of fatal workplace accidents in China in 2001 at more than 90,000.

Sources: Xinhuanet (23 December 2005), Reuters (23 December 2005), China Labour Bulletin