Qa'dah 10, 1431, Oct 18, 2010, SPA -- The death toll from a coal mine gas leak in central China rose to 30 Monday after rescue workers discovered four more bodies, state media said Monday. Seven others remain trapped underground, but their chances of survival are slim, rescue crews fear. More than 2,500 metric tons of coal dust smothered the pit after the gas leak, hampering efforts to reach the miners, said Du Bo, deputy chief of the rescue headquarters. His comments were reported by the Xinhua news agency. The gas leak occurred in Henan province when 276 miners were working underground. A total of 239 workers escaped, Xinhua said. An initial investigation showed that 173,500 cubic meters of gas leaked out in the accident.
