7 dead in colliery gas blast in east China

Seven people were dead and two more remained trapped underground after a gas explosion ripped through a coal mine in east China's Anhui Province on Monday, reported Xinhua, quoting rescuers.

The accident happened at about 12:10 p.m. at the Xieqiao coal mine of Huaihe Energy when 24 miners were working underground in the mine shaft.

Twenty-two miners managed to return to the ground, but seven out of eight who sustained serious injuries have died, Xinhua reporters learned at the scene.

The rescue operation is still underway to reach the remaining two missing workers.

The Xieqiao coal mine is a major state-owned mine with an annual production capacity of 9.6 million tonnes.