A coal mine explosion in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang has killed two and left seven missing, according to Xinhua News Agency yesterday.

Two miners narrowly escaped and nine were trapped after the gas blast in Qitaihe City at 5:00 PM on Wednesday.

Local officials have rushed to the colliery to organize rescue efforts, and the cause of the accident is under investigation.

Meanwhile, an expert at the site of the landslide in Shanxi Province said it would take another 2-3 days to dig out 24 buried farmers, and the chances of finding them alive were minimal.

Loess, loose sediment deposited by wind, on one side of a road in Qiaonan Village collapsed at about 11:00 PM on Monday.

Several landslides have occurred since, causing further problems for the rescue effort.

The provincial government has called for better early warning and prevention systems for geological disasters. As the flood season has arrived, other incidents are expected.

(Xinhua News Agency, China Daily May 12, 2005)