Twenty-seven of the 28 miners injured in a gas blast that killed 32 in southwest China at the weekend have been described by doctors as out of danger, including four discharged from hospital.

 

However, one miner, You Chaofu, a local of Fuyuan County, Yunnan Province, is still in a critical condition.

 

You was the last miner rescued from the pit in Fuyuan county after the explosion at 5:17 PM on Saturday. His breathing and heartbeat had stopped when he arrived at hospital.

 

The central government has urged the provincial government to further strengthen inspections of work safety and close all illegal coal mines across the province.

 

Changyuan Coal Mine, about 25 km from the seat of Fuyuan County, is a privately owned business established more than two years ago. The mine is said to have reserves of 6.02 million tons.

 

The accident resulted from the mine's illegal operation, local sources said Sunday.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 30, 2006)