A gas explosion at a coal mine in central China's Hunan province has killed four miners and left five others missing. Four women were found among those who were working in the mine.

The accident occurred at the Dongtang Coal Mine in Lengshuijiang City on the evening of 6 April when nine miners, including four women, were working underground. The four women involved are yet to be identified, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Article 59 of China's Labour Law strictly forbids women from working in coal mines.

The Dongtang Coal Mine is a licensed colliery with an annual production capacity of 10,000 tons, according to Yuan Xinzhong, who heads the local coal mine safety inspection bureau.

In March, the provincial government of Hunan ordered all collieries with high risks, including the Dongtang Coal Mine, to suspend production, but the mine has since continued operating against the order, according to Yuan. 

Source: Xinhua News Agency (7 April 2006), CRIEnglish.com (7 April 2006)

7 April 2006