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China: Coal Mine Fire Kills 24 Workers

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Liaonong Province, China
Liaonong Province, China

China's state media said 24 workers have been killed in a fire at a coal mine in the northeastern part of the country.

The official Xinhua news agency said the Wednesday blaze in Liaoning province also injured 52 workers.

The incident occurred at a mine run by the state-owned Fuxin Coal Company and is the latest deadly mining disaster in China.

Government figures show there were 589 mining-related accidents in China last year, leaving more than 1,000 people dead or missing.

That's down 23 percent from the year before but analysts said the actual figure is likely much higher since many incidents are not reported.

Authorities have been working to implement tighter safety standards and shut down small coal mines that often go unregulated.

China is the world's largest consumer of coal.

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