BEIJING (AP) — All 33 coal miners trapped underground in a gas explosion earlier this week have been found dead, state media reported Wednesday, as work safety officials vowed to punish those responsible. Two miners survived Monday's explosion but rescuers working around the clock found no others alive. All bodies have been recovered and rescuers were shown bowing their heads in memorial for the dead. Fifteen people have been confirmed dead from a gas explosion inside a coal mine in western China, and the status is still unknown for 18 others trapped inside. Ventilation systems are supposed to prevent gas from becoming trapped. The State Administration of Work Safety ordered an investigation into the blast, “adding that those responsible must be strictly punished.” Local officials in Chongqing also ordered smaller mines to shut down temporarily, Xinhua said. Xinhua had previously reported 15 deaths in the explosion, but said Tuesday that Chongqing's deputy mayor corrected previous reports from local coal mine safety authorities. China's mining industry has long been among the world's deadliest.
Chinese state media reports that all 33 miners trapped underground have been found dead on Monday after a gas explosion at Jinshangou Coal Mine in Laisu Town of Yongchuan District in Chongqing, and preliminary investigations have been started.