Mine Rescue in China

Emergency teams in central China have rescued the majority of a group of miners who had been trapped underground following a cave-in.  Chinese media say more than 40 men were pulled out alive on Saturday. Seven had been rescued on Friday at the mine in the city of Samenxia in Henan province. Several others are said to be missing. Eight miners died, state media said.

The mine collapsed on Thursday after a low-level earthquake. Mining accidents kill hundreds each year in China. On Saturday, state broadcaster CCTV showed images of miners being pulled out on stretchers with towels wrapped around their eyes to protect them from the sun's glare.

The authorities said the initial rescue operation had been hampered by coal dust following an explosion. They said that 75 miners had been working in the pit at the time of the explosion. They were reportedly in a 760m-deep (2,493ft) shaft which was blocked by the rock burst - an explosion caused by the sudden release of built-up pressure - at a depth of 480m.

Some 14 managed to escape. According to one report, rescuers had dug a 500m tunnel in order to reach those still trapped.  An earthquake with a magnitude of 2.9 hit the area shortly before the rock burst. Luo Lin, head of the State Administration for Work Safety, praised the rescuers but said the "alarm bell of work safety must keep ringing. Enterprises should pay attention to work safety when the coal demand is high. They should not allow any operation that violates rules or regulations," he said.

This rescue will be cause for celebration in China, but the country's mines remain the deadliest in the world. The mining industry is notorious for its lax safety standards. Earlier this week a gas explosion at a mine in neighbouring Hunan province killed 29 people. But officials insist the country's record is improving, and say they have taken action by closing many illegal mines.