Six people were killed, one injured and another went missing in a coal mine explosion in central China's Hunan Province, local work safety watchdog said early Tuesday. The blast occurred around 3 p.m. Monday at Niulanchu Coal Mine in Zhongfang County, according to work safety authorities in Huaihua City, which administers Zhongfang County. Six miners died on the spot and one was injured seriously and sent to a local hospital. Rescuers are still searching for one more miner who went missing after the blast, Xinhua quoted authorities as saying. An initial investigation showed that mal-operation were to blame for the blast. A further investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.
