QUITO, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The death toll of a gold mine explosion that happened on Monday night in Ecuador has reached seven, with 40 more miners injured and 30 others still missing, local officials said Tuesday.

    The rescuers have found seven bodies at the explosion site, and since there might be other miners still trapped, the death toll is likely to be higher, said an official in charge of the rescue work.

    More than 1,000 sticks of dynamite exploded on Monday night in the Liga de Oro mining camp at Mchala in the southern Ecuador province Azuay. The explosion affected a radius of 150 meters, destroying almost half of the mining camp buildings.

    The Ministry of Oil and Mines said in a statement that officials have closed the Liga de Oro for investigation.

    The mine produced nearly 15,000 ounces of gold last year, generating 11 million U.S. dollars in revenue, the statement said.