24 Dead in China Mine Blast

Twenty-four people died and five were wounded in a blast at an illegal iron mine in China yesterday, Xinhua reports. Mine owners, who fled the scene, had masked the site as a boar farm to dupe authorities. "The owner has violated the law by illegally exploring the state-owned resources," an official said. Rescue crews unearthed miners today, including trapped survivors, but found no cause for the blast.

State media warned today that mining is now riskier after a recent spate of storms stalled work; built-up gases and shaky power lines may spark more accidents, AFP reports. China's coal mining industry is the world's deadliest, plagued by illegal digging and driven by high-priced resources, MSNBC reports. (More China stories.)