November 25, 2003	Tuesday	Ramazan 29, 1424

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BEIJING, Nov 24: Eighteen miners are dead and five more missing after a gas explosion at a coalmine in China’s central Henan province, state media reported on Monday.

The blast on Saturday afternoon at the Sundian coalmine in Xiaotun township occurred with 57 miners underground.

Thirty-four survived, the Xinhua news agency said.

Five people in charge of safety and maintenance at the mine were being questioned by police.

Coal mine accidents are frequent in China, a major coal producer and consumer, claiming 4,150 lives during the first eight months of this year, latest figures show.—AFP