Death toll put 115 in China mine disaster

The death toll in the Thursday’s coal mine blast in China has risen to 115.

The death toll in the Thursday’s coal mine blast in China has risen to 115.

The official Xinhua News Agency today reports that all those in the mine during the blast have been accounted for and most bodies have been brought to the surface.

Another 24 miners reportedly survived the blast and were being treated in hospital.

The explosion at the Chengzihe mine in Jixi, in Heilongjiang province, was the fourth worst in China's history, Xinhua said.

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Investigators are still trying to locate where the explosion started in order to determine the exact cause.

However, a spokesman for the State Administration of Work Safety Supervision said it was clear the ventilation system had not been working properly and mine workers were not following proper safety standards. Those responsible will suffer "stern punishment", he said.

The Chengzihe mine has 5,500 workers and produces 1.1 million tons of coal annually. Work has been suspended at nine other mines in Jixi following the accident.

AP