China mine blast toll hits 28

At least 28 miners have been killed after a blast in a coal mine in China's southwest Yunnan province, while the fate of 15 others is still unknown.

Twenty eight bodies have been found, and 15 miners are still trapped underground at Sizhuang Coal Mine, located in the county of Shizong near the city of Qujing.

The mine was operating illegally as its license was revoked a year ago, according to a statement from the provincial coal safety supervision bureau.

The bureau ordered the mine to stop production in April.

Luo Lin, director of the State Administration of Work Safety, along with a group of gas experts from the Chinese Academy of Engineering rushed to the accident site on Saturday afternoon.

He ordered local authorities to do anything possible to save the miners who are trapped since Thursday.

The families of 17 victims have received 10,000 yuan (USD 1,577) for funeral expenses.

Each dead miner's family will get a compensation package of 660,000 yuan, state-run Xinhua quoted officials as saying.

Hundreds of rescuers are continuing to search for trapped miners, it said.

About 240 tonnes of coal dust have been cleared out and a 250-meter-long section of the mine tunnel has been cleared.

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