At least six people were killed in a coal mine explosion in central China.
The blast occurred around 3 p.m. yesterday at Niulanchu Coal Mine in Hunan Province, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Six miners died on the spot and one was injured seriously and sent to a local hospital. Rescuers were still searching for one more miner who went missing after the blast, authorities said.
An initial investigation showed that the blast occurred due to mal-operations. Further investigation into the cause for the accident is underway.