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21 Chinese miners trapped in mine after blast confirmed dead

BEIJING:  Twenty-one miners who were trapped for four days after an explosion hit their unlicensed coal mine in the city of Qitaihe in Heilongjiang province have been confirmed dead.

The state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that and four people have been arrested in connection with the disaster.

Among the four suspects are the mine owner and three managers.

One miner is missing in the city of Qitaihe in Heilongjiang province in northeast China, and the rest of the bodies were retrieved on Friday night, Xinhua said.

China is the world’s top producer and consumer of coal, and government officials have made a commitment to shutting down unlicensed mines in an attempt to improve safety.

Although the cause of the blast has not yet been identified, such incidents usually occur when unventilated coal gas is ignited by a spark or open flame.