Five workers died of carbon monoxide poisoning in a coal mine in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality Sunday, according to the local government.

Five miners were pumping water from a pit of the Xiangyang Coal Mine in Kaixian County in preparation for production as directed by the mine owner when the accident happened around 8 a.m., the county government said.

Rescuers recovered their bodies at noon.

The private colliery has legal licenses, but had been suspended earlier. The workers were preparing for resumption of production when the accident occurred.

The county government has set up an investigation team, comprising mainly work safety supervision officials, which will look into the cause of the accident and compensation.

(Xinhua News Agency June 1, 2009)