BEIJING — A gas explosion tore through a coal mine in northern China early Thursday, killing as many as 96 miners, a government website and the official New China News Agency reported.
The blast occurred about midnight at a mine in Linfen city in Shanxi province. By Thursday evening, rescue workers had recovered 70 bodies, but 26 people were missing and feared dead.
Rescue workers and state officials blocked roads leading to the mine, and authorities launched an investigation into the latest tragedy in an industry that claims about 5,000 lives each year.
Most mine accidents in China occur in small, private operations, many of which are illegal. But the Xinyao mine, as it is known to local residents, is publicly owned and employs perhaps 200 to 300 workers, villagers said.
Rescuers believe that mine officials did not immediately report the accident and tried to rescue miners themselves, which might have resulted in the high death toll, the news agency said. Police detained Wang Hongliang, the mine’s legal representative, and Gao Jianmin, its director. The mine’s business license and bank account were frozen.
A woman from a nearby village, who would give only her surname, Qiao, said the mine tended to hire migrant workers from other provinces rather than local villagers.
