The death toll from a coalmine accident in Longhui County in Shaoyang, central China's Hunan Province, has risen to 18. Another body was recovered on Wednesday, according to rescuers.

 

A gas explosion occurred at about 5:00 PM last Saturday at Dayuan Coal Mine in Longhui County while 24 miners were working underground. Only six miners managed to escape.

 

Preliminary investigations showed that the mine operators were in violation of mining operation rules.

 

(Xinhua News Agency March 1, 2006)