COAL MINE EXPLOSION KILLS 82 MINERS

BEIJING, MAY 23 /SRNA/ - At least 82 people were killed in an explosion at a coal mine in northern China, Chinese state media reported.

The explosion occurred last night at a coal mine in Qingyuan County, the northern Chinese province of Shanxi, China Central Television reported.

At the time of the accident, 247 miners were underground.

Search and rescue operations are underway, and the authorities are investigating the cause of the explosion.