An injured miner receives treatment at a local hospital in Shuozhou, Shanxi Province March 20, 2005. [newsphoto]

    SHUOZHOU, Shanxi, March 21 (Xinhuanet) -- Sixty-five miners were confirmed dead in the coal mine explosion in northern Shanxi Province by 10:30 p.m. Monday, as two more bodies were found in the Xishui Colliery, according to the rescue headquarters at the site.     

Relatives of a victim in a coal mine blast in Shuozhou, North China's Shanxi Province weeps March 19, 2005. [newsphoto]

Eight rescue teams are searching for four miners still trapped underground, according to sources with the rescue headquarters.

    A gas blast occurred at Xishui colliery at 12:15 a.m. Saturday and tore through the neighboring Kangjiayao coal mine, trapping a total of 69 coal miners in the shaft.

    Built in 1993, Xishui Coal Mine is licensed to produce 150,000 tons of coal annually. But the mine was ordered to suspend production after safety problems last November, according to the provincial supervision office of coal mine production.

    The other coal mine, Kangjiayao, which also suffered in Saturday's explosion, is a normal mine with governmental approval for production.

    A preliminary investigation has found that the coal mine owners,disregarding the government's supervision, continued with coal production, causing the disaster. Enditem