A deadly gas blast at a north China coal mine killed at least 46
people early on Thursday, local safety authorities confirmed. Five
others were saved by rescuers.
At least 50 people remained trapped in the village-run pit in
Hongtong County of Linfen, a resource-rich city in Shanxi
Province.
The exact time of the accident was not immediately known.
Xinhua reporters were en route to the site 400 kilometers from
Taiyuan, the provincial capital.
(Xinhua News Agency, December 6, 2007)