Coal mine fire claims 16 lives in southern China despite industry safety improvements
Preliminary investigations indicated those who perished were trapped due to conveyor belt blaze
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A coal mine fire in southern China killed 16 people on Sunday, according to local authorities.
The blaze broke out at the Shanjiaoshu coal mine in Panguan, a town in Guizhou province.
An initial investigation suggested the people who died were trapped after a conveyor belt caught fire, the Panzhou city government said in a statement posted on social media.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MAN ARRESTED AFTER FIGHT WITH FATHER-IN-LAW TAKES GRUESOME, DEADLY TURN
A coal mine fire in southern China's Guizhou province killed 16 people on Sunday. (Fox News)
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China, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, continues to depend heavily on coal for electricity despite massive expansion of its wind and solar power capacity.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The country's coal mining industry has improved the safety conditions for workers in recent years but deaths still happen.