Coal and gas explosion kills 18 miners, traps 5 in southwestern China

Chinese state media say 18 people have died in the country's latest coal mine accident.

The official Xinhua News Agency said five people remained trapped underground Saturday after a coal and gas explosion in Xiangshui coalmine in southwestern China's Guizhou province.

It says 28 workers were in the mine at the time of the accident. Five of those have been rescued.

China has the world's deadliest coal mine industry, with 1,973 miners killed in accidents last year.

Safety improvements have reduced deaths in recent years, but regulations rules are often ignored and accidents are still common.

In August, a mine blast in southwestern China's Sichuan province killed 44 people, the highest single accident toll for the industry in nearly three years.

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