An explosion in a northern Chinese coal mine caused a massive cave-in that killed 16 miners and trapped another 11 below ground, Xinhua news agency reported yesterday.
The blast ripped through the Xiangyuangou No. 2 mine in Shanxi Province's Jiaocheng County on Wednesday afternoon as 83 miners were at work in the shaft.
Fifty-six miners escaped or were rescued but 11 remained unaccounted for, according to the news agency. Six rescued miners were injured, Xinhua said.
An official with the Shanxi provincial production safety bureau said the blast badly damaged the ceiling of the shaft, trapping the miners behind tons of rubble.
"Rescuers are working as hard as they can to dig out the tunnel, but progress has been slow," said the unnamed official.
(The Associated Press)