18 miners trapped in China gold mine collapse

The accident occurred while 40 people were working in the mine, situated 100 kilometers from the border with Kazakhstan, Chinese officials said.

A search and rescue operation has been launched to retrieve the remaining stranded miners after 22 were brought to the surface safely, Xinhua news agency reported.

Mining accidents are common in China. However, the number of deaths has reduced in recent years after the introduction of new safety measures. (ILKHA)