At least 11 killed in Chinese village dynamite blast

A cache of illegal dynamite has exploded in a village in northern China, killing at least 11 people, injuring 20 and demolishing buildings, the government announced today.

The explosion occurred at yesterday in Laogaochuan village near the city of Yulin in Shaanxi province, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

It said the death toll might rise because other victims could still be buried under the rubble of collapsed houses.

The dynamite was stored in a house owned by the village chief, Su Yingxiang, and most of those killed were migrant workers who lived there, Xinhua said.

It said Su fled after the disaster.

The report did not say what the dynamite was meant for, but Shaanxi is a major coal mining region, and small mines often use explosives made by unlicensed workshops.