The death toll from a coalmine accident in Longhui County in
Shaoyang, central China's Hunan
Province, has risen to 18. Another body was recovered on
Wednesday, according to rescuers.
A gas explosion occurred at about 5:00?PM last Saturday at
Dayuan Coal Mine in Longhui County while 24 miners were working
underground. Only six miners managed to escape.
Preliminary investigations showed that the mine operators were
in violation of mining operation rules.
(Xinhua News Agency March 1, 2006)