BEIJING, June 18 (RIA Novosti) - The death toll from a coal mine blast in north China's Shanxi province has risen to 31, and the search for the three miners is continuing, Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday.
The blast in the Anxin mine in the city of Xiaoyi occurred last Friday, when 58 people were working underground. Fifteen workers managed to escape and another nine were saved by rescuers.
China's coal mining industry is considered the world's most dangerous with over 3,000 people killed each year in fires, floods, explosions and rockfalls. The deadliest accidents usually occur in small privately-owned mines in autumn and winter as owners increase coal production during the winter season.
