A gas explosion at an illegal mine in central in China has killed at least 20 people.
According to China's state-run Xinhua news agency, the blast in coal-rich Shanxi province occurred when miners were trying to reopen a mine that had been closed by safety inspecto
The mine in Linfen city had apparently been closed using explosives.
China's coal mines are the world's deadliest, with the country recording more than 3,800 fatalities in its mines last year – an average of about 10 deaths a day.
However, labour rights groups say the real death toll is likely much higher with mine operators covering up accidents to avoid official attention.
Many of the accidents are in small, illegal mines where safety procedures are often ignored as owners cut corners in the rush for profits servicing China's soaring appetite for coal.
The Chinese government has launched several campaigns targeting unsafe mines, but few weeks go by without reports of major floods, fires and other disasters hitting mines somewhere in the country.