China's killer mines strike again

China's mining industry is one of the largest -- and most deadly -- in the world

BEIJING, China -- Three separate accidents in Chinese coalmines in the space of just two days have left as many as 50 miners dead.

In the most recent incident a blast at a mine in the southwestern province of Yunnan killed 25 and injured at least 10, state media reported Tuesday.

The explosion at the unlicensed mine was caused by a gas leak, state-run Xinhua news agency said.

In an earlier report, Xinhua said another 18 miners suffocated to death on Monday in a coalmine in southern China's Hunan province.

The miners were killed when gas suddenly began leaking into the shaft in which they were working.

Just a day earlier seven people were reported killed at an illegal mine in the Jiangxi province, with at least one other miner listed as missing.

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The mine had previously been shut down by authorities but had reopened and was operating illegally, Xinhua reported.

With their frequently poor safety standards, China's mines account for thousands of deaths each year.

In the first 11 months of 2001 alone, official records show more than 5,000 miners died in scores of accidents.

Observers say many more deaths go unreported because mine operators fear being prosecuted by the authorities.

In an effort to limit the staggering death toll the government has passed several laws designed to ensure improved safety and ordering tens of thousands of mines to close.

However, China's massive demand for energy and an almost limitless supply of labor willing to risk working in the mines has meant many owners have kept their operations running illegally.