A gas explosion at a southern China coal mine has killed 16 workers who were making safety improvements to the shaft and its ventilation system.
The explosion at the Xinzhuang county mine in Jiangxi province killed 15 miners immediately; another died in the hospital, the Legal Dailypaper reported.
The report said the mine's licence had been suspended in June 2000 pending safety improvements.
China has closed thousands of mines and demanded upgrades to safety in others in hopes of reducing the thousands of mining deaths each year.
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