104 killed by year's worst mine blast

At least 104 miners are now reported to have perished in a coal mine explosion in Northeast China's Hei-long-jiang Province, Saturday. Three officials from the company operating the coal mine have been discharged.

The underground explosion at the Xinxing coal mine in Hegang city of Heilongjiang province, is likely to be the worst coal mine disaster of the year.

A total of 528 miners were working in the state-owned mine when a gas explosion happened. Almost 80 percent of those underground managed to escape. But over 100 were trapped inside.

Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang and provincial officials arrived at the site where hundreds of rescue workers are struggling to search for survivors.

Zhang Fucheng, Head of Rescue Operation Team, said, "The tunnels connecting each area are narrow and winding. Communications and electrical facilities underground have been destroyed. There was also a high build-up of toxic gases, like carbon monoxide. All these factors are hampering the rescue work."

60 injured miners are receiving medical treatment in local hospitals. Some of them were poisoned by carbon monoxide, or burnt. Medical workers, and a team of experts from Beijing and other parts of Heilongjiang are working together in diagnosis schemes. Doctors say six severely burnt miners are not yet out of danger, while the others are in stable condition.

The deadly explosion marks yet another tragedy for China's accident-plagued mining industry. Three of the mine's officials, including its director have been removed from their posts. The provincial procuratorate has sent investigators to the site to search for evidence of criminal activity such as bribery or corruption.

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