Coal mine blast kills 28 in northeast China

BEIJING – A gas explosion at a coal mine in northeast China has left 28 people dead.

China's State Administration of Work Safety said Saturday that the cause of the blast late Friday at a state-owned mine outside the city of Baishan in Jilin province is under investigation.

Other than the 28 dead, the official Xinhua News Agency says 13 people were rescued.

Chinese mines remain among the deadliest in the world, with frequent explosions of the gases released in mining. A government campaign to close small, illegally operated mines and upgrade equipment in other has markedly improved safety in recent years.