Fifteen miners have been confirmed dead after a gas explosion at a coal mine in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing Monday, according to state-run news agency Xinhua.
Eighteen others who were trapped in the mine are still unaccounted for, Xinhua reported.
The explosion happened at about 11:30 a.m. (11.30 p.m. Sunday ET) at the privately-owned Jinshangou Coal Mine in Laisu town in Chongqing’s Yongchuan district, Xinhua reported.
Two of the 35 miners underground at the time managed to escape, according to a statement posted to the Chongqing press office’s official Weibo social media page.
More than 200 rescue workers, including firefighters, police and rescue specialists are at the site, trying to locate and save the missing miners, Xinhua reported.
Chongqing’s coal mine safety inspection bureau has ordered all coal mines in the municipality to halt production pending safety inspections, it reported.
The cause of the explosion is under investigation, city officials said.
Mining accidents are not uncommon in China. According to the State Administration of Work Safety, 598 people died in mining accidents last year.
In March, 12 people were killed by a gas leak in a mine in the northeastern province of Jilin, while in January, four miners were rescued after 36 days of being trapped underground. At least one miner died in that accident.