Related: 200 rescuers work to free Mexican miners

    

A Mexican miner walks during the rescue operation for trapped miners at the community of San Juan de Sabinas in Coahuila State. Rescue workers scrambled against time to try to free at least 65 miners trapped underground after an explosion inside a coal mine in northern Mexico(Photo: Xinhua/AFP)

MEXICO CITY, Feb. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- A coal mine collapse has trapped around 66 miners around 300 meters underground in the northern Mexican state of Coahuila, the state's Civil Defense Forces (PCC) told local media on Sunday after rescuing 12 of the miners.

    Five of the rescued miners emerged from the Conchos mine unhurt,while another six were hospitalized with burns and broken bones. The incident took place in the municipality of San Juan Sabinas, some 900 km northern of the capital, Mexico City.

    The mine collapse took place at around 4:00 a.m. local time (1000 GMT) on Sunday, when 78 miners were underground. Local media reported that a "grisu" -- an explosion of trapped methane gas -- may have caused the incident.

    Some 900 PCC officers, police officers and Mexican soldiers said they were continuing to work in the mine, which belongs to privately-owned Mexican company Industrial Minera, adding that no-one had yet been reported dead.

    Coahuila governor, Humberto Moreira, told media in the state capital, Saltillo, that he would travel to the mine, some 250 km away. The families of the mine workers have gathered at the gates of the mine, trying to gain access to the mine.

    San Juan Sabinas is part of Mexico's coal zone, close to the frontier with the United States. Enditem