A total of 53 miners died after an explosion occurred at a coal mine in Shanxi province, as rescue work ended four days after the accident.

The blast occurred at about 4pm on 15 July at the Linjiazhuang coal mine in Lingshi county, Jinzhong city, Shanxi province, when 64 miners were working underground. As of 17 July, 49 were killed and eight others remained trapped, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Only six miners escaped after the blast and one worker suffering carbon monoxide poisoning was rescued on Sunday morning. Initial investigation showed that the coal dust explosion in the illegal colliery was triggered by an unauthorized explosion in an adjacent mine.

Sources: Xinhua News Agency (19 July 2006), China Youth Daily (19 July 2006)

20 July 2006

See related report: 63 killed and 26 trapped in three separate coal mine accidents