Mine blast death toll rises

The death toll in a massive gas explosion at a coal mine in China rose to 105 today after more bodies were recovered, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

Exact figures were still unclear on the number of miners who were underground at the time of Wednesday night’s explosion, although Xinhua put the figure at about 120 rather than the previously reported 111.

Xinhua said managers of the mine in Shanxi province’s Hongtong county had delayed reporting the accident overnight, wasting the crucial hours when coordinated rescue efforts could be most effective.