By DPA
Beijing : The death toll in a gas explosion at a coal mine in southwestern China rose to 18 Monday with authorities expressing fear that the figure may be higher.
Another 37 miners were listed as missing in Sunday’s blast at the Shizishan mine near Zhaotong in Yunnan province, the China News Service reported.
The mine had been warned in August because gas concentrations were too high and the required ventilation precautions weren’t being followed, the news agency said.
Lack of safety measures, poor equipment and underhand dealings between local regulators and mine owners have resulted in high number of mine accidents in China, where about 10,000 miners lose their lives on the job each year, the highest toll the world over in the industry.