Seven people have been killed in a colliery gas explosion in
north China's Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, local work safety
watchdog said Saturday.
The blast occurred around 2:10 AM Saturday at the Liyuan Coal
Mine in the Huolin Gol City in southwestern Inner Mongolia, when 23
people were working underground. Sixteen managed to escape, and
seven were killed, a spokesman with the regional work safety
supervision bureau said.
Local police have detained several people from the mine, and are
hunting for another shareholder of mine, who absconded after the
accident.
Investigators with the work safety supervision bureau said the
mine was in a renovation period, and the miners should not have
been operating when the accident happened.
Investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.
(Xinhua News Agency August 25, 2007)