Rescuers are trying to reach 24 miners trapped after a suspected gas explosion in a coal mine in northeastern China today.
Rescuers had lifted another 56 miners to safety, Xinhua news agency said.
The latest in a long series of disasters in Chinese mines happened early today in the mine at Shenyang in Faku county.
Local officials, including the vice-governor of Liaoning province, rushed to the scene as rescuers tried to reach the trapped miners.
China has the world's deadliest mining industry. Coal shortages drive mine owners to push production beyond safety limits in the face of huge demand and soaring profits.
Figures released by the State Administration of Work Safety on August 8th showed that the number of deaths in coal mine accidents was down 24 percent in the first seven months of 2008.
Reuters