Death toll rises to 77 in coal mine blast

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-02-25 19:57

TAIYUAN -- Three more bodies have been pulled from Tunlan Coal Mine in north China's Shanxi province on Wednesday, bringing the death toll from the explosion to 77, rescue headquarters said.

Rescuers carry a body of a victim who was killed by a coal mine blast in the city of Gujiao, in North China's Shanxi province, February 22, 2009. [Xinhua]

They are still searching for one more person who they believe has a slim chance of survival.

Rescue headquarters announced it had found everyone Sunday evening but had mistakenly put the names of four miners on a list twice.

In all, there were 436 people working when an explosion ripped through a coal mine of the Shanxi Coking Coal Group in Gujiao City at around 2:20 a.m. Sunday. Gujiao is about 50 km away from Taiyuan, the provincial capital.

The bodies of the three workers were discovered around one a.m. Wednesday in the collapsed section of the mine.

A total of 358 people survived the blast, including 114 injured who remain in the hospital.

Three coal mine officials have been removed from their posts and the governor of Shanxi Province, Wang Jun, on Tuesday made an apology to victims and their families.

The State Council has set up an investigation team Tuesday to probe into the disaster.