BEIJING: An accidental explosion at a coal mine in southwest China killed 27 miners yesterday, state media said.
A total of 81 miners were rescued after the blast at the Taozigou mine in Luzhou city, Sichuan Province, with 16 taken to hospital with injuries, Xinhua reported, citing local authorities.
The incident comes after a gas explosion at a colliery in the southwestern province of Guizhou Friday killed 12 miners, according to Xinhua.
Maldives home minister sacked
COLOMBO: The Maldivian home minister Mohamed Jameel was sacked yesterday shortly after he announced his candidature for the vice presidency in crucial elections in September, the government said.
Jameel, a key figure in President Mohamed Waheed’s administration, had declared he would be the Progressive Party of Maldives running mate to Abdulla Yamin, the half brother of former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
“The president gave him an option of either choosing to be a candidate or remain in the cabinet,” presidential spokesman Masood Imad said by telephone. “The president today sacked him after he announced he will be a candidate.”
USS Nimitz
arrives for drills
BUSAN: A US naval strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz arrived off South Korea yesterday for drills, following joint exercises that infuriated North Korea.
The Nimitz Strike Group includes 64 aircraft as well as cruisers and destroyers, said the group’s commander, Rear Admiral Mike S White, after the aircraft carrier anchored off the southern port of Busan.
The Nimitz will participate in joint search-and-rescue operations as well as “sea manoeuvring” around the Korean Peninsula, the South’s defence ministry said.
Dolphin going back into wild
SEOUL: A 13-year-old dolphin was yesterday being transported to an ocean pen off a South Korean island for training to prepare it for release back into the wild after four years in a Seoul zoo, officials said.
The female Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, which had been at Seoul Grand Park Zoo since 2009, was flown by a special charter jet to the southern island of Jeju accompanied by an 11-member team of veterinarians and zoo keepers.
AFP
