10 killed, 28 injured in NE China mine accident

CHANGCHUN - Ten people died and 28 others were injured in a carbon monoxide poisoning accident at a gold mine in Northeast China's Jilin province early Tuesday, local authorities said late Tuesday.

Fifty-seven miners were working when a fire broke out at 4 am in the Laojinchang Gold Mine in the city of Huadian, resulting in a dense buildup of both carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, according to the city's publicity department.

An initial investigation traced the source of the fire to faulty electric wiring, a city government official said.

Nineteen people were rescued from the mine following the fire.

One person died while en route to a local hospital, while another nine perished in the mine.

The injured have been sent to nearby hospitals for treatment. One is in critical condition, while the other 27 are stable.