A collapse in the mining area of Dahuiyao Coal Mine in Ningwu county on Friday caused a fire, producing large amount of harmful gas, said sources from Shanxi Provincial Bureau of Work Safety.

Altogether 34 miners were working beneath the shaft when the accident happened. Three of them escaped the site of the accident.

Rescuers later lifted 14 more miners out of the shaft, of whom, one died in hospital.
Later, the rescuers found the body of the 17 miners trapped in the mishap.
With vast coal reserves, Shanxi province, commonly known as 'sea of coal', is the biggest coal producer in China.

However, fatal accidents in the mining industry have been occurring regularly in the province.
One recent accident with big fatalities in the same county was on July 7 when a blast caused by explosives illegally stored at villager's home killed 47 people, including schoolchildren, and injured 28 persons.


http://indiaenews.com/2006-08/17463-leak-kills-18-coal-miners-china.htm