Seventeen people have been confirmed dead and six others injured in a coal mine accident that occurred in southwest China's Yunnan province, authorities said early Thursday. A total of 66 miners were working underground when a gas blast occurred around 2:15 p.m. Wednesday in the Shangchang Coal Mine in Huangheni township of Fuyuan county, Xinhua quoted sources with the county government as saying. Sixteen miners were killed on the spot and one died on the way to the hospital, according to the sources. Six of the 49 miners who survived the accident were injured and sent to a local hospital. One of them is in serious condition, the sources said, adding that the injuries are not life-threatening. A preliminary investigation showed that the mine was fully licensed and that the accident was caused by unauthorized operations conducted in a gas-stress accumulated region. With no proper gas buildup prevention measures, unauthorized operations, including blasting, caused the accident, according to investigation results released by local authorities.
