UPDATE 3-China mine explosion kills 42, traps 66

(Changes byline, updates with latest toll)

* Blast shook the surrounding area, damaged buildings

* Chinese mines the deadliest in the world

By Maxim Duncan

HARBIN, Nov 21 (Reuters) - A gas explosion killed 42 miners in a Chinese mine on Saturday and 66 remain trapped hundreds of metres (yards) underground after the latest accident to hit the world's deadliest mining industry, state media said.

The blast ripped through the mine at about 2.30 a.m. when there were 528 people at work, but more than 400 have now got out safely, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing rescue team spokesman Zhang Jinguang.

The blast was so violent it shook the surrounding area. Buildings near the mine mouth have partially collapsed, and some survivors were knocked unconscious temporarily.

"I passed out for a while. I found I was shrouded by heavy smoke, when I regained consciousness. I groped my way out in the dark," 27 year-old electrician Wang Xingang told Xinhua.