Rescue workers are ready to go into the coal mine. (Sina photo)

TONGCHUAN, Shaanxi July 20 (Xinhuanet) -- A gas blast in northwest China's Shaanxi Province claimed 24 lives, injured three miners and trapped other two, said an official with the disaster relief team Wednesday.

    The tragedy occurred at 2:20 p.m. Tuesday, in a private-owned colliery in Tongchuan city, when 40 miners worked in the coal mine. Eleven of whom successfully escaped, and other 29 were trapped underground.

    Rescuers and local officers rushed to the accident spot and coal dregs has been cleared and ventilation system restored operation.

    By 10 p.m. Wednesday, 23 bodies were found. Of the four injured, one died on the way to the hospital.

    Conditions of the last two trapped miners remained unknown.

    Opened in 1995, Jinsuo Wukuang is a private-owned coalmine witha full set of licenses and 130 workers. Its designed annual outputis 30,000 tons.

    The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

(Sina photo)

    Enditem