23 rescued after blast in iron mine in China; 2 missing

Twenty-three workers were rescued today from an iron mine in China's northeast Liaoning province, hours after they were trapped by a powerful explosion that claimed the lives of 11 people and left nine others injured, authorities said.

The blast took place at 4:10 PM (local time yesterday) when miners were dropping explosives down the 1,000-metre-deep mine shaft.

The explosion killed 11 people, injured nine others who were above ground, and destroyed the hoisting system in the mine, trapping 25 miners underground.

The first batch of six miners were lifted out of the shaft at around 5:20 AM, and another 17 were lifted as of 7:25 AM, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Two others still remain missing. Search was underway. All the rescued miners are in good conditions.

Five of the injured suffered heavy injuries.

Three rescue teams were dispatched by the provincial work safety bureau overnight. Power supply, ventilation and the hoisting system have been recovered.

The iron ore mine in Sishanling village, Benxi city, which is under construction by Huamei Group, is attached to Beijing Jianlong Group.

Though the number of deaths has reduced at mines in recent years, mining accidents are common in China.

In May, a methane gas explosion ripped through a coal mine in central China's Hunan province, killing at least five workers.

In December last year, six people were killed and 20 others injured in another accident in a coal mine in southwest Chinas Guizhou Province.