China coal mine blast kills 27

The explosion in a facility of Anxin Coal Mining Co inChina's northern Shanxi province occurred on Friday morning,when 58 miners were working underground, the official Xinhuaagency said. Fifteen miners had managed to escape, and anothernine were rescued, it added.

"Explosives" blew up at the bottom of the shaft at the minein Luliang in the coal-rich province, initially trapping 43,Xinhua had reported on Friday, citing local officials.

The mine's licenses and certificates were valid and itpassed a safety inspection earlier this year, the report added.

China, the world's largest producer and consumer of coal,has the world's deadliest mining industry. A total of 3,786Chinese coal miners died in gas blasts, flooding and otheraccidents in 2007, down 20 percent from 2006.

China has been battling to improve standards in its mines,but accidents are common as owners push production beyondsafety limits to meet robust demand to fuel the country'seconomic boom.

A landslide on a mountain in Luliang killed at least 16workers at a rural brick factory, with one worker rescued,Xinhua also reported on Saturday. It added that another twopeople remain trapped, according to rescuers.

Rescue work has been temporarily suspended as there weresigns of potential landslides nearby, Xinhua added.

More than 300 rescuers and 20 earthmoving machines havebeen mobilised in the search for the missing, the report said.

(Reporting by Sophie Taylor; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)