SHANGAI (Web Desk) – At least 21 people have been killed by a fire at a mine in north-eastern China, while one person is still missing.
The fire began on Friday at the coal mine run by a state-owned company in Jixi City, Heilongjiang province, Xinhua news agency says.
Some 22 people were trapped underground, it reported earlier.
The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.
China has the world’s deadliest mines, with hundreds of mine workers killed in accidents every year. But the country’s safety record has shown signs of improvement in recent years as the authorities enforce a strict compliance with safety laws and procedures.
A total of 38 miners were underground when the blaze started, but 16 of them managed to escape, Xinhua says.
The authorities say the fire is now under control, the BBC reports.
Last year, 24 people were killed and 54 injured an underground fire at a mine in China’s north-eastern Liaoning province.
