A gas explosion ripped through a coal mine in northeast China's Liaoning Province Thursday, killing at least five people and trapping 17 others, the national work safety watchdog said. A total of 23 miners were working underground at the Dahuang No. 2 Coal Mine in Liaoyang City when the accident happened at noon, Xinhua quoted the State Administration of Work Safety as announcing in a statement. One of them has managed to escape, and rescuers are struggling to the search for the trapped people, it said. No further details were provided.
