East China mine vehicle blast kills 3

Three people have been confirmed dead and another remains missing after a vehicle carrying explosives blew up on Thursday at a copper mine in east China's Jiangxi Province, local authorities said on Friday.The blast occurred at 9:50 a.m. on Thursday, while the vehicle was being washed at Yongping Copper Mine, which belongs to the Jiangxi Copper Corporation.Preliminary investigation has indicated that the driver of the vehicle and another two workers were at the scene. But the mine on Friday reported that another worker from the mine was nearby when the vehicle exploded.The local public security department is further verifying the identities of the deceased.The provincial government has ordered the copper mine to halt production until the cause of the accident is identified, and mines throughout the province have been ordered to suspend the use of the model of vehicle involved in the accident.Yongping Copper Mine covers an area of about 10 square km. It is the country's second-largest open-pit copper mine.