ISLAMABAD – A coal mine explosion killed 15 people in north China’s Shanxiprovince, state media reported on Tuesday.

Nine other people were injured by the gas explosion on Monday afternoon,which took place in a mine owned by Shanxi Pingyao Fengyan Coal & CokeGroup Co, according to official news agency Xinhua.

Xinhua reported that 35 miners were working underground when the blasthappened, but 11 miners were able to escape.

The injured miners were in a stable condition, Xinhua said.

Shen Xuping, an official at the Shanxi Administration of Coal Mine Safety,said on Tuesday that the accident revealed a “lack of awareness of the ruleof law and chaotic management” by the company involved, local mediareported.

Shen said the accident was caused by activity that “broke the law andregulations,” although authorities are still investigating the exact cause.

Deadly mining accidents are common in China, where the industry has a poorsafety record.

At a meeting last week, the State Council — China’s cabinet — ordered a”special crackdown on production-related safety issues” to “further improveworkplace safety”, Xinhua reported.

In December 2018, seven miners were killed in southwestern Chongqingmunicipality after the connecting segment of a mining skip broke and felldown a mine shaft.

In October the same year, 21 miners died in eastern Shandong province afterpressure inside a mine caused rocks to fracture and break, blocking thetunnel and trapping the workers.