35 killed in China coal mine blast, 44 trapped

BEIJING (AP) - September 7, 2009 The State Administration of Work Safety said the pre-dawn explosion Tuesday happened at Xinhua No. 4 pit in Pingdingshan city in Henan province.

A statement on the administration's Web site did not give a reason for the blast. It said 14 miners managed to flee to safety. There were 93 men working underground at the time of the blast, it said.

China's mines are the world's deadliest. An average of 13 workers are killed every day in China, and most accidents are blamed on failures to follow safety rules, including a lack of required ventilation or fire control equipment.

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