Coal mine blast in Hebei kills 5
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-12-02 10:13

A coal mine blast has killed five miners and left one missing in north China's Hebei Province, local authorities said Friday.

The gas explosion occurred at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Xipo Coal Mine in Weixian County of Zhangjiakou City, according to the provincial coal mine safety bureau.

Six miners were doing maintenance down the shaft when the blasthappened, and rescuers rushed to the scene immediately after the accident, the bureau said.

The coal mine, with an annual capacity of 60,000 tons, has not got a safety license for operation, the bureau added.