Nine miners were killed and 45 still missing in a gas explosion in a coal mine in China's northeastern province of Heilongjiang early on Tuesday, China Central Television (CCTV) said.
It is reported that 54 miners were working when the accident occurred.
Officials had rushed to the scene to supervise the search for missing miners. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council paid great attention to the accident and demanded the local authorities to go all out to rescue the missing miners, CCTV reported.
The mine, in the city of Hegang, was owned by the Nanshan Coal Mine Co which contracted mining rights to a private interest, the report said.
(China Daily 05/08/2001)
