6 dead, 11 missing, in new blast at China mine

A new explosion in a Chinese coal mine killed six people and left 11 missing Monday, three days after a blast killed 28 workers at the same mine, state media said. The blasts occurred at the Babao mine operated by the state group Tonghua Mining in Baishan prefecture in the northeastern province of Jilin. An official at the Babao mine office confirmed to AFP that the two blasts occurred in the same mine. But he did not respond when asked why the mine had remained open after the first accident. China's mines are among the world's deadliest because of lax regulation, corruption and poor operating procedures. Authorities in the nation, the world's largest coal consumer, announced last year they would close more than 600 small coal mines which are considered more dangerous than larger pits.