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| Death Toll Rises to 49 in Shanxi Explosion |
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The death toll from Friday's blast caused by illegally-stored dynamite in a private house in north China's Shanxi Province has risen to 49 after another body was found Sunday, according to local government. DNA test revealed that Wang Wenyi, a 35-year-old man, who was blamed for hiding the dynamite in the house of a villager named Sun Linfeng, died in the explosion, according to the office of public security in Ningwu County. Specialists from the Chinese Ministry of Public Security and the State Administration of Work Safety estimated that at least 200 kilograms of dynamite exploded. All the 30 injured are in a stable condition, according to local government. More than 200 fire fighters, armed police and public security police have been busy clearing the debris. The explosion took place around 6:30 AM Friday at a rural house in Dongzhai Village, Ningwu County. It's believed the explosion was triggered by a fire in the house. Witnesses said early on Friday morning, the house caught fire and many fellow villagers rushed to help extinguish the fire, while others watched the house burning. Both helpers and onlookers were killed when the bungalow exploded which also damaged buildings next door. The explosives were hidden in one room of the house and other rooms were occupied by renters. With vast coal reserves, Shanxi Province is the biggest coal producer in China and explosives are in widespread use in the area's coal mines. Numerous fatal accidents occur in the province each year from illegally stored explosives used in mining blow up. (Xinhua News Agency July 10, 2006) |
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