The families of the 33 miners killed in a coal mine gas explosion in Yuxian County, north China's Shanxi Province, have received compensation totaling 6.6 million yuan (US$800,000), a local official said.

According to new provincial regulations, which came into force on December 1, the families of miners killed at work must receive no less than 200,000 yuan (US$24,164) each.

All families of the 33 victims in the accident were compensated in accordance with this rule.

The explosion occurred at Daxian Coal Mine at 4:20 PM on December 9. Thirty-three miners were killed and 38 escaped.

(Xinhua News Agency December 17, 2004)