Two explosions in northern Chinese coal mine kills 10, injures 20

BEIJING (AP) -- Two explosions in a coal mine in northern China killed 10 workers, left 11 more trapped and injured 20 rescuers, the government said Sunday.

The first blast occurred Friday when 121 miners were working in Shanxi province, the official Xinhua News Agency said, and 95 were immediately evacuated after the shaft collapsed.

Five miners were found alive and 10 bodies recovered before a second explosion during rescue efforts Saturday morning left 20 workers injured, Xinhua said. Eleven miners remained missing.

A preliminary investigation shows that the blasts were caused by carbon monoxide build-up, the agency said.

China's coal mines are the deadliest in the world, with thousands of deaths reported annually in explosions, fires and other accidents blamed on lack of safety equipment and misconduct.