A gas explosion killed two, left two missing and injured 61 in a tunnel in Wenchuan County in Sichuan Province on Tuesday, according to a local newspaper report.

The accident occurred at 4:20 PM in an area that is to be submerged in the Zipingpu water conservation project.

About 28 seriously injured workers have been transferred to larger hospitals in Chengdu, the provincial capital, for better care. The remaining workers, who sustained lesser injures, were treated at local hospitals in Dujiangyan.

The first ten patients to arrive at Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital and were in a critical condition, said Hu Weijian, director of the first aid center there.

Li Huaxu helped push his father to Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital. The 17-year-old and his father have worked in the 40-meter tunnel for seven months. He was at home, only 50 meters from the tunnel entrance, at the time of the explosion.

"I heard a loud explosion and saw smoke and dust coming from the tunnel. My father was inside, so I rushed into it for him and helped him and other injured out," he said.

"I've seen gas burning on the tunnel ceiling three times, but I did not report it to the supervisors since I believed it was normal," Li said.

Zipingpu water conservancy project is one of the top ten projects in China's West Development campaign. Construction began on the project three years ago and is to be completed in 2006.

(Xinhua News Agency December 8, 2004)