Twenty-two people were confirmed dead and 60 remain missing after a coal mine gas blast in the early hours of Monday in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
  
The bodies of three miners have been recovered so far, said an official in charge of operations.
  
The explosion happened around 2:30 AM at Shenlong Coal Mine in Fukang County as 87 miners were working underground, said local sources.
  
Five have been rescued, and the cause of the blast is under investigation. 

Yesterday, a local coal mine safety official confirmed that one was dead and two still missing after the mine flooding in central China's Hunan Province last week.

The flooding took place at 4 PM on July 4 at Guanshanchong Coal Mine in Dazhongqiao Town of Qiyang County, as nine miners were working underground. Three escaped at the time, and another three rescued and hospitalized.

The condition of the survivors is stable, according to Zhou Gezhong, head of the Hengyang Sub-bureau of Hunan Provincial Coal Mine Safety Supervision Bureau.

Zhou said the chance of survival is slim for the two who remain missing as it will take at least three days to drain water from their location.

The local government had ordered all coal mines to suspend production and carry out safety checks between June 20 and July 5.

(Xinhua News Agency July 11, 2005)