BEIJING (AP) -- A gas explosion at a coal mine in central China killed 14 people, while nine were still missing, state media reported Monday.
Fifty-seven miners were inside the Sundian mine in the Hunan province when the blast occurred Saturday, the Xinhua News Agency reported, citing rescuers.
The cause of the explosion was under investigation. Police were questioning five people in charge of safety and maintenance at the privately owned mine, Xinhua said.
The area is about 400 miles southwest of Beijing.
China's mines are the world's deadliest. So far this year, more than 4,200 deaths have been reported in explosions, floods and cave-ins blamed on lax safety rules and lack of fire and ventilation equipment - especially in small, privately owned mines.
