18 Jul 2010

China coal mine accident kills 28 - owner detained

7:07 pm on 18 July 2010

Police have detained the owner of a coal mine in China's northwestern Shaanxi province where a fire killed 28 miners, Xinhua news agency is reporting.

All the miners in the shaft died when an underground cable caught fire at the coal mine in Hancheng City.

Thousands of people are killed in China's mines every year despite government pledges to shut or consolidate many small or unsafe operations.