(ROUGH CUT - NO REPORTER NARRATION)<br/> <br />At least 18 people were killed after a gas explosion in a coal mine in China's southwestern province of Sichuan on Wednesday (August 29).<br/> <br />Local media said 15 people trapped underground have been confirmed dead, three others died after being rescued.<br/> <br />152 people were working in the mine at the time of the explosion.<br/> <br />The owner of the Xiaojiawan Coal Mine has been taken into police custody.<br/> <br />China's mines are the deadliest in the world due to the lax enforcement of safety standards and a rush to feed demand from a robust economy.<br/> <br />But official statistics show the death toll from accidents has been falling.
