Eastern China mine blast kills 86 miners
( 2003-05-18 14:28 ) (8)

The search for bodies of miners killed in a gas explosion in a coal mine in east China's Anhui Province on May 13 concluded in early hours Sunday with three@bodies found, bringing the death toll of the accident to 86.

When the explosion occurred on Tuesday afternoon, a total of 113 miners were working underground. Of those wounded, nine of the miners were critically injured but are expected to survive.

Cause of the gas explosion, which is seen as the worst coal- mine accident in China so far this year, is still under investigation.

Currently, gas blasts account for more than 80 percent of the total coal-mine accidents in China, or more than 90 percent of the serious ones each with a death toll of at least 10, according to the State Administration of Work Safety.