Nine people have been killed in the partial collapse of a coal mine in northern China.
The state-run Xinhua News Agency said Wednesday that the people killed were doing maintenance work inside the mine shaft at the time of the accident. Rescuers were able to save one person, who is now in stable condition at a hospital.
The cause of the accident on the outskirts of Shuozhou city in coal-rich Shanxi province was under investigation.
Local government officials did not immediately return phone calls from The Associated Press.
China is the world’s largest producer and consumer of coal. Its mining industry has long been one of the world’s deadliest, even as the government has strived to improve safety inside the mines and phase out older operations with outdated safety standards. (AP)
