31 October 2004	Sunday	16 Ramazan 1425

BEIJING, Oct 30: Poisonous gas killed 15 miners as they were working underground at a coalmine in north-eastern China, state media reported on Sunday.

Thirty-five other miners were able to get to the surface safely after a sudden gush of unidentified gas on Saturday at the Xilutian Mine in Liaoning province, Xinhua news agency said quoting a mine official.

Fatalities are an almost daily occurrence in China's often dangerous coalmines, many of which are criticized for poor safety standards.

Official figures indicate more than 7,000 workers die each year in the country's coalmines. A human rights group puts the number at around 20,000.-AFP