China coal mine explosion claims 11 lives in Shanxi province

A coal mine explosion killed 11 people in Shanxi province in northern China, Chinese media reported on Tuesday.

CCTV reported that out of the 90 people in the mine at the time of the blast on Monday evening, two "died after resuscitation efforts failed" and another nine "trapped underground have been found, and none of them have any vital signs".

Two others who made it to the surface "were seriously injured and died after resuscitation efforts failed", the broadcaster CCTV said.

It went on to say a further 11 people were "lightly injured" and had been taken to hospital for treatment, adding that "their vital signs are stable".

"The cause of the accident is currently under investigation," CCTV said.

Mine safety in China has improved in recent decades, as has media coverage of major incidents, many of which were once overlooked.

However, accidents still occur frequently in an industry whose safety protocols are often lax, especially at the most rudimentary sites.

In February, a coal mine collapse in the northern Inner Mongolia region left dozens of people and vehicles buried under a mountain of debris.

Authorities did not disclose the final death toll for months, only saying in June that 53 people had perished in the accident.