At least two miners died and 56 were trapped Thursday in three separate mining accidents around China, the government's work safety watchdog and a press report said.
At least one miner was killed and 28 were trapped when a gas explosion ripped through the Yaotou mine in northern China's Shaanxi province on Wednesday night, the State Administration of Work Safety said on its website.
More fatalities were expected at the mine as the shaft had collapsed and the ventilation system in the mine was not working, the report said.
In neighbouring Henan, one miner was killed and 21 were trapped when a coal mine flooded late Wednesday night near Jiyuan city, the administration said in a separate report.
In the third accident, seven miners were trapped in a coal mine in northern Shanxi province that also flooded on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency said.
Rescue efforts were ongoing at all three mines, the reports said.
Nearly 3,800 people died in Chinese coal mines last year, according to official figures. However, independent monitors say the real figure is much higher as many accidents are covered up.
