12 killed in Coal mine accident in northeast China, 13 others injured

Beijing: At least 12 people were killed and 13 others injured in a coal mine accident in China's Heilongjiang province, media reports said on Thursday.

The accident occurred in the Jixi city's Hengshan district on Wednesday afternoon, the state-run China Central Television reported.

The accident at the Kunyuan Coal Mine killed 12 people and injured 13 others, the China Daily newspaper said. Those injured were shifted to a hospital.

An investigation team has been set up to probe the cause of the accident, the reports said.

Mining accidents are common in China. However, the number of deaths has reduced in recent years. China is the world's largest producer and consumer of coal.

China's mining industry has long been among the world's deadliest, with frequent mine accidents. The safety crackdown was ordered in 2020 after two accidents in mountainous southwestern Chongqing killed 39 miners.