A gas explosion killed two miners and trapped 23 others at a coal mine in northeast China's Liaoning Province on Monday morning, a provincial coal mine safety bureau official said.

A gas explosion killed two miners and trapped 23 others at a coal mine in northeast China's Liaoning Province on Monday morning. [Xinhua]

The accident occurred at about 8:50 a.m. at the Baijiagou Coal Mine in Faku County. At the time, 81 miners were underground and 37 were affected, Lang Yaoyun, director of the provincial coal mine safety bureau, said.

As of 3:30 p.m., 14 miners were brought out of the pit and rushed to hospital. Two miners died despite doctors' efforts.

The explosion happened 252 meters underground where ventilation facilities were destroyed and the gas density had reached 85 percent.

Rescuers had taken measures to restore ventilation in the tunnel.

"The high gas density makes it almost impossible to survive there," Lang said. "It will take some time to bring the density within a safe limit."

The rescue operation was continuing.

The fully-registered coal mine is a joint-stock company with an annual output of 100,000 tonnes. Established in 1976, the mine has 450 staff members.

(Xinhua News Agency August 18, 2008)