Across China: Heilongjiang

Cave-in kills 3 rescuers

Three rescuers were killed yesterday as they were attempting to retrieve the bodies of 15 miners killed in an explosion at a coal mine in Northeast China, the Xinhua News Agency said.

The three men, from an accident rescue team operated by the Longmei Colliery Group, were killed by a cave-in at the privately owned Changlong mine in Qitaihe, Heilongjiang province. Fifteen miners were killed on Sunday, when an explosion ripped through the mine, Xinhua said. Three officials have been sacked and police have detained five people from the mine.