Eight people dead in China coal mine blast

Initial investigations show that owner of the private-run coal mine tried to cover up the accident.

Eight miners were killed and five others injured when a blast ripped through a coal mine in North China's Hebei Province, the local government said on Friday.

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Initial investigations show that owner of the private-run coal mine tried to cover up the accident that took place on Monday, according to the Hebei Provincial Workplace Safety Supervision and Management Administration.

The administration did not disclose other details such as how many workers were working underground when the accident took place at the No 2 Coal Mine of Huzhuang village, Zhulu county, Xinhua news agency reported.

Rescue work and investigation into the cause of the accident is still under way.

China, which relies on coal for two-thirds of its energy needs, has witnessed a series of major coal mine accidents this year.

China's coal mines are regarded as the deadliest in the world. In 2005, over 6,000 miners were killed in gas blasts and flooding.

Officials often blame the growing number of accidents to lax safety standards in illegally-run mines, especially in the far-flung countryside.