BEIJING, Nov. 26 (UPI) -- A coal mine fire in China's northeastern province Liaoning killed 26 workers and injured 50 others Wednesday.
The origin of the fire is unknown, but the plant has shut down pending a safety investigation into the incident. Of the injured, 30 are critical and four have life-threatening injuries. Investigators are looking into whether the fire was related to the earthquake that occurred in the region.
Chinese coal mining accidents are prevalent. About 1,049 people were killed in coal mining accidents in 2013. Only 52 people have died in coal mining incidents in the U.S. in the last decade. Government regulations have seen progress in preventing deaths in the mines. The number of fatalities last year declined by roughly 24 percent from 2012, when 1,384 deaths were reported.
The high mortality rate in China's mines are the result of being the world's biggest coal producer and an inability to keep up with the demand for fuel.
