Latest China coal mine blast kills 26

BEIJING, Thursday (Reuters) An explosion in a coal mine in northern China has killed 26 people, state media said on Thursday, the latest tragedy to strike the world's deadliest mining industry. Forty miners were underground when the blast tore through the No. 5 Coal Mine near Tongchuan in Shaanxi province on Tuesday afternoon, the China Daily said.

"The ventilation system underground was damaged by the gas blast and three tunnels caved in, which made it very difficult for us to search for the missing miners", rescue worker Du Shifu was quoted as saying.

Xinhua news agency said 26 were killed and the China Daily said three miners were injured while 11 escaped unharmed.

Last year, more than 6,000 miners in China lost their lives in explosions and other accidents.