Chinese media say 19 killed in coal mine accident

A late-night coal mine accident in northern China has killed 19 miners, Chinese state media reported yesterday.
The accident happened on Wednesday night on an underground platform in a mine in Shuozhou city in Shanxi province, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Its brief report cited the Shanxi Datong Coal Mine Group, which runs the mine.
State broadcaster CCTV said there were 129 people underground when the accident happened. The others reached safety.
China’s mines had long been the world’s deadliest, but safety improvements have reduced the number of deaths in recent years. AP