Twenty-four people were killed and six injured on Thursday morning in a gas explosion at a coal mine in Fuxin, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Xinhua quoted local authorities as saying. Rescuers are searching for three other miners who were still trapped in the mine in Qinghe district of Fuxin. The explosion took place at 9 a.m. when 41 miners were working in the mine, among whom 14 returned to the ground on their own, sources said. The mine began operation in 1999 with an annual capacity of 40,000 tonnes. Deputy director of State Administration of Coal Mine Safety Fu Jianhua and Liaoning Vice Governor Li Jia have rushed to the mine to guide rescue efforts. Investigation into the cause is underway.
