Blast Kills 40 in China Mine; 74 Missing

BEIJING – A gas blast at mine in northern China killed at least 40 people Thursday, with another 74 missing, state television reported.

It said 13 miners were rescued after the explosion in the Rui Zhiyuan coal mine in the city of Linfen in Shanxi province.

The noon broadcast on CCTV did not give any other details about the early morning blast.

China’s coal mining industry is the most dangerous in the world, averaging 13 deaths a day from fires, explosions and floods. In August, 181 miners died when heavy rains flooded two mines in eastern Shandong province.

Many of the accidents are blamed on mine owners who disregard safety rules and fail to invest in required ventilation, fire control and other equipment.