Beijing, Dec 08: With the recovery of more bodies, the death toll in the coal mine explosion in North China's Hebei province today rose to 19, an official report said. The rescue work is still going on at the coal mine in Yuxian county as one miner is still missing, Xinhua News Agency quoted rescuers at the site. The gas blast occurred yesterday at the Longtai coal mine in Yuxian when 29 miners were working about 380 meters underground. Nine miners were saved and others were stranded underground.
Rescuers had found 16 bodies yesterday and another three today morning Among those dead were the deputy manager of the mine, two gas technicians. Most of these miners came from local areas, while some from Henan, Shanxi, Sichuan provinces and the inner Mongolia autonomous region.
Officials with the provincial government have arrived at the site to monitor rescue efforts and investigate the cause of the blast. All mines in the county have been closed for safety check, the report said.
China's coal mines are notorious for their high accident rates. Each month, hundreds of miners are killed due to gas explosions or flooding.

Authorities blame most of the accidents to lax safety standards in private and remotely located mines in the countryside. Bureau Report