China coal mine fire kills 24, injures 52

A fire at a state-run Chinese coal mine killed 24 miners early on Wednesday, state media reported, the latest fatal incident to hit the accident-prone industry.

The blaze at the mine, run by Hengda Mining Company, in northeastern Liaoning province, also left 52 people injured, Xinhua said, quoting Hengda's parent company, the state-owned Fuxin Coal Corporation.

Initial investigation showed that coal dust in a shaft was ignited shortly after a weak earthquake with a magnitude of just 1.6 hit the mine, said the report.

Rescue operations had been completed, it added, whille production had been suspended at all of Hengda's other mines while safety checks were carried out.

The mine went into operation in 1987 and has an annual production capacity of 1.5 million tonnes, with a total of 4,660 employees, Xinhua said.

China’s mines are among the world’s deadliest because of lax regulation, corruption and poor operating procedures. Safety is often neglected by bosses seeking easy profits and accidents are common.

Last year, the country recorded 589 mining-related accidents, which left 1,049 people dead or missing, according to the government.