China coal mine accident kills 22 workers, injures 2

A coal mine accident in southwest China’s Chongqing metropolitan area has killed 22 miners, local authorities say.

Twenty two people were confirmed dead in the coal mine accident that occurred Tuesday at the Yanshitai Coal Mine in Wansheng District, according to the Chongqing Municipal Administration of Coal Mine Safety, which described the apparent underground blast as a “gas incident.”

The local authorities further stated on Wednesday that rescuers at the scene have retrieved the bodies of all of the victims.

According to local reports, two miners were injured during the accident and six others escaped the incident unharmed.

Mine officials said that a total of 28 miners were working down the shaft at the time of the mishap.

The coal mine reportedly belongs to the state-owned Nantong Mining Co., Ltd, which is the largest coal producer in Chongqing.

The world’s deadliest mine accidents reportedly occur in China, although the mines’ safety record has been steadily improving in recent years as authorities have enhanced enforcement of safety regulations.

According to reports, there were four coal mine accidents in China in 2013 leading to the death of 1,049 miners. In the last such accident in 2013, 28 miners were killed in an explosion in Taozigou Coal Mine on May 11, 2013.