A colliery explosion killed at least 16 miners as of yesterday near Usu, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, said government officials there.
The accident occurred about 6:10pm on Thursday at the Dianzhangou Zhongxing Coal Mine, about 50 kilometers south of Usu.
The cause of the explosion was unknown, but under investigated.
Meanwhile, a former vice mayor of Fukang City, Xinjiang, was arrested over a coal mine gas blast that claimed 83 lives in the city on July 11, sources confirmed yesterday.
The former vice major was previously in charge of work safety in the city.
Another six people were arrested including Shenlong Coal Mine's chairman of the board, as well as managers and technicians of the firm, sources said.
According to the People's Daily, Supervision Minister Li Zhilun said an investigation found the vice mayor took bribes from employees of Shenlong coal mine.
The gas explosion occurred about 2:30am on July 11 in Fukang County, 62 kilometers outside Urumqi, the region's capital. Eighty-seven people were in the shaft and only four survived.
(Xinhua)