Twenty-one workers were killed today in a gas explosion inside a coal mine in China's northwest Xinjiang province.
The blast occurred early this morning when 34 workers were inside the mine in the Hutubi County in Hui Autonomous Prefecture of Changji, state-run news agency Xinhua reported.
Twelve workers managed to escape, it said.
The regional emergency response office said that 22 miners were trapped in the Baiyanggou coal mine following the explosion. Only one survived.
Rescue teams and firefighters had been sent to the site, it said.
