Dozens killed by blast in China mine

Shanghai: Twenty-seven miners were killed and another seven remained trapped after an explosion in a Chinese coal mine, state media said on Saturday.

The explosion in a facility of Anxin Coal Mining Co in China's northern Shanxi province occurred on Friday morning, when 58 miners were working underground, the official Xinhua agency said.

Fifteen miners had managed to escape, and another nine were rescued, it added.

"Explosives" blew up at the bottom of the shaft at the mine in Luliang in the coal-rich province, initially trapping 43, Xinhua had reported on Friday, citing local officials.

The mine's licenses and certificates were valid and it passed a safety inspection earlier this year, the report added.