At least 12 miners have died in two coalmining accidents in China in one day, the official Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday.
Four miners are missing following the two incidents on Monday.
In the first accident, a gas explosion in a mine in Anhui Province in the east claimed the lives of seven miners. There were 24 miners working in the shaft, and two are listed as missing.
The second took place in Shanxi Province in the north on Monday evening. Five miners died when a depot in a shaft collapsed. Two miners are missing in this accident.
Mining accidents are a frequent occurrence in China, with many miners dying every year. The accidents are usually attributed to poor safety measures.