Dec. 6 - The death toll from China's latest major coal mine disaster rose to 105 on Friday after more than two dozen bodies were recovered, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. 


Dozens of miners are feared dead in a mine gas explosion in China on Thursday. The explosion occurred just after midnight at a mine in Linfen, a city in the coal-rich northern province of Shanxi. 


The Chinese State Administration of Coal Mine Safety said 40 people were dead and 74 are trapped underground, but the real death toll remains unclear. A spokeswoman for the administration, An Yuanjie, told AFP there were 95 workers in the Ruizhiyuan mine shaft at the time of the accident.


"After the accident occurred, a rescue team of 32 people was sent in, but soon afterwards they were trapped as well," she said. An was unable to give the reason for the initial blast, or say how the rescuers ahd also become trapped in the mine.


The incident, which follows soon another mine cave-in on Tuesday in Hebei, China, highlights shaky safety standards in Chinese mines. At least 4,700 miners were killed in Chinese mines in 2006, according to official figures. But the actual death toll could be much higher, according to Hong Kong-based rights group China Labour Bulletin (CLB).


"The officials who release these figures openly admit the real death toll is often covered up by the mining company," China Labour Bulletin's Geoffrey Crothall told France 24. "The official figures represent the number of deaths reported by a mining company." Last year, Chinese authorities discovered more than 40 coverups, says CLB.


Owners often pay generous compensation to help smooth over such accidents. On average, an injured miner receives 200,000 Chinese Yuan (18 euros) as compensation, says CLB.


Putting Profit first


Experts and human rights groups agree that China's mines are among the deadliest in the world. "Very little attention is paid to working conditions and the safety of the miners," says Crothall. "The focus is mainly on the quantity of coal produced and profits."

The majority of accidents occur in small illegal mines where standards of safety are rarely respected. Local chronic corruption helps illegal mines to thrive.

"The Central government has passed a legislation to shut down illegal mines but the local authorities don't want to let go of the economic incentives they offer," says Crothall. "Owners of illegal mines make hefty profits and bribe local authorities."

The Ruizhiyuan mine had a licence to produce 210,000 tonnes of coal a year, but did not say whether that was being exceeded, as is often the case, the mine safety administration claims.