Sichuan colliery blast death toll rises to 45

 PANZHIHUA, Sichuan, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Death toll¹ from Wednesday's colliery blast in southwest China's Sichuan Province has climbed to 45, with one still missing, authorities said on Sunday night.

Search was continuing in the Xiaojiawan Coal Mine in Panzhihua City, some 750 km southwest of Chengdu, the provincial² capital, according to the press office of the Panzhihua city government.

The mine was struck by a gas blast at around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, trapping about a third of the 154 miners who were working underground and injuring 54 others, 17 of them seriously.

Initial probe indicated that chaotic³ management and sheer ignorance of safety rules in the mine, owned by Zhengjin Industry and Trade Co., Ltd., were mainly to blame for the accident.

The State Council, or China's cabinet, has established an investigation⁴ team, led by Yang Dongliang, head of State Administration of Work Safety, to look into the accident.

1 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

2 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

3 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

4 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。