China: 35 die in coal mine blast

BEIJING -- China says a coal mine blast has killed 35 miners in central Henan province and left another 44 trapped.

The State Administration of Work Safety said the pre-dawn explosion today happened at Xinhua No. 4 pit in Pingdingshan city in Henan province.

A statement on the administration's website did not give a reason for the blast. It said 14 miners managed to flee to safety. There were 93 men working underground at the time of the blast, it said.

China's mines are the world's deadliest. An average of 13 workers are killed every day in China, and most accidents are blamed on failures to follow safety rules, including a lack of required ventilation or fire control equipment.