Sixteen Bodies Found After Coal Mine Explosion

Coal Mine Explosion Stranded 106 in East China

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The bodies of 16 victims have been found at the coal mine in Xuzhou City, east China's Jiangsu Province, where an explosion Sunday morning trapped 106 miners underground, rescuers said Monday.

Currently 77 miners are still missing, while the 13 miners rescued on Sunday are in sound condition.

The rescue work is still going on at press time.

Explosion Stranded 106

A total of 106 miners were stranded at a small coal mine in Xuzhou City, east China's Jiangsu Province, Sunday morning as the result of an explosion, but there was no reports on casualties.

Reports reaching here early Monday said that by 3:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon, 13 of the 106 stranded miners had been rescued, and the rescue work is still going on.

The explosion occurred at 9:13 Sunday morning at a small mine run by the Gangzi Village in Jiawang District of Xuzhou City.

Party and government officials of the province and Xuzhou City rushed immediately to the disaster site to direct the rescue work.

It is learned that the coal mine, that did not possess production conditions, was in illegal operation. The Xuzhou City and Jiawang District governments banned the operation of the coal mine on June 15.

However, the coal contractor made bold to resume production on July 15. The contractor has been detained.

Cause of the explosion is still under investigation.