China mine blast death toll rises to 104

BEIJING, Dec 7 (Reuters) -The death toll from a coal mine gas blast in north China has risen to 104 after rescuers found 34 bodies overnight, state television reported on Friday.

The explosion hit the Xinyao mine in coal-rich Shanxi province late on Wednesday, but the managers did not report it until five hours later and instead tried to launch their own rescue operation, which Chinese media said probably increased casualties.

Police were trying to confirm the exact number of people working underground, but it had "seriously exceeded safety limits" and rescuers were searching for more victims, China Central Television said.

There were 15 survivors.

The village-run mine was licensed, but initial investigations showed the explosion was caused by mining along a coal seam that had not been authorised for production, Chinese media said.

Police have arrested the mine's head and legal representative, suspended its licence and frozen its bank accounts, while top safety officials had rushed to the site from Beijing, Xinhua news agency said.

China has been trying to tighten safety regulations but its coal industry is still the world's deadliest, claiming close to 5,000 lives last year. (Reporting by Guo Shipeng, editing by Nick Macfie)