China's State Administration of Work Safety admitted today that at least 55 miners were killed in a gas explosion at a coal mine in the Chinese city of Luaibei, south of Beijing.
Nearly 40 miners are trapped 1,500 feet below ground and officials say there has been no indication those workers are still alive.
Some 28 miners were rescued from the Luling coal mine following the explosion, and more than 100 miners were working in the mine when the explosion occurred.
Approximately 7,000 workers died in China's coal mines in 2002.
Sandy Smith is the former content director of EHS Today, and is currently the EHSQ content & community lead at Intelex Technologies Inc. She has written about occupational safety and health and environmental issues since 1990.
