A coal mine has collapsed in the Tiechanggou township near China’s far western region of Xinjiang, leaving 16 workers dead and 11 others injured.
Citing Xinhua news agency, Reuters reported that the accident took place on Friday night near the regional capital of Urumqi. According to the report, 33 people were underground when the accident happened and six were rescued safely.
Officials have confirmed that the injured workers are in a stable condition and investigations have begun to determine the cause of the accident.
Earlier in June, a coal mine accident in south-western China killed 22 people.
China National Coal Administration has reported 1,067 deaths from 604 coal mining accidents in 2013, Reuters reported.
The country is planning to close more than 2,000 small-scale coal mines by 2015, in an attempt to improve safety conditions through abolishing old operations.
According to Greenpeace energy analysts in China, the country produces and consumes an amount of coal equal to that produced by the rest of the world combined.
The level of coal burned in China during the first three quarters of this year increased by around 2%, compared with the same period of 2013.
