An underground explosion killed eight Vietnamese coal miners in the northern province of Quang Ninh, state media reported today.
The bodies of the eight, all men aged between 21 and 30, were recovered immediately after the blast early on yesterday, the Tien Phong(Vanguard) newspaper said.
State media quoted industry officials saying methane gas was believed to have triggered the explosion. A methane explosion killed 16 miners in the same province in 1999.
This year, Vietnam plans to raise its annual coal production by 7 per cent to 36.5 million tonnes to meet soaring industrial and export demand.
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The communist country exported 18 million tonnes of coal last year, mainly to China and Japan, earning a record $658 million.