20 die in China coal-mine plunge

September 25, 2012 - Updated 1228 PKT

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BEIJING: A coal mining accident in northern China Tuesday left 20 miners dead and 14 injured, state media said, in the latest incident to hit the industry. The cable of a rail carriage carrying workers into the mine in Gansu province snapped, sending the 34 miners plummeting into the pit, Xinhua news agency reported. The injured have been transported to hospital, including three who were in a serious condition, it said. Officials at the Baiyin city work safety administration, which oversees the Qusheng mine, refused to comment when contacted by AFP. China is the world's biggest consumer of coal, relying on the fossil fuel for 70 percent of its growing energy needs. But its mines are among the deadliest in the world because of lax regulation, corruption and inefficiency. Accidents are common because safety by bosses seeking quick profits often neglected. Tuesday's accident followed a gas explosion at a colliery in the southwest Sichuan province last month, which killed 43 miners. According to the latest official figures, 1,973 people died in coal mining accidents in China in 2011, a 19 percent fall on the previous year.