As of 10:30 PM Monday, 65 miners were confirmed dead in the coal mine explosion in north China's Shanxi Province as two more bodies were found in the Xishui Colliery, according to the on-site rescue headquarters.

Eight rescue teams are searching for four miners still trapped underground.

A gas blast at the Xishui mine at 12:15 AM Saturday tore through the wall of the neighboring Kangjiayao mine, trapping 69 miners in the shafts.

Built in 1993, the Xishui mine is licensed to produce 150,000 tons of coal annually. But it was ordered to suspend production after safety problems were discovered last November, according to the provincial coal mine supervision office.

The Kangjiayao mine was operating with government approval.

A preliminary investigation indicates that the Xishui owners disregarded the government's order to close.

(Xinhua News Agency March 22, 2005)

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