At least 53 feared dead in China mining accidents

BEIJING: A blast in a southwestern China mine has taken the lives of 32 miners and left 28 injured, while 21 miners were confirmed dead in a second explosion in a northeastern Chinese mine.   

The toll from the mine explosion in China's southwestern Yunnan province could rise as rescuers in Huosuo township were uncertain how many workers were in the pit at the time of the blast.   

The explosion occurred early Saturday evening in the Changyuan coal mine, with officials confirming that 32 miners were killed and 28 injured as of Sunday morning. The mine is a privately owned business which has only been operating for two years.   

In a second blast, also occurring Saturday, in northeast China's Heilongjiang province, 21 miners were confirmed dead and six were missing from the blast near Jixi city.   

Miscalculations as to the number of workers were in the mine led to initial reports saying only 18 deaths had occurred in the blast.   

An investigation into the cause of the explosion was underway. Almost 6,000 workers were killed in the country's mining industry last year -- a rate of about 16 fatalities each day -- according to official figures.   

Labour rights groups say the real number of mining deaths could be as high as 20,000 a year, with the official tally much lower because local government officials and mine owners often cover up accidents.