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20 workers die in Chinese mine

Steel cable broke as it was pulling 2 carriages at coal mine in northwest China Tuesday

Spokesman Review

BEIJING — A steel cable broke as it was pulling two carriages at a coal mine in northwest China on Tuesday, killing 20 workers in the country’s latest mining accident.

The state-run China News Service said 34 miners were riding in the carriages when the cable broke, overturning the carriages in the mine in Baiyin city in Gansu province. It said 14 miners were rescued.

China has the world’s deadliest coal mine industry, with 1,973 miners killed in accidents last year.

Safety improvements have reduced deaths in recent years, but safety rules are often ignored and accidents are still common.

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