Eleven people were killed and six others remain missing following an explosion at a coal mine in northern China on Monday, state press reported.
Ninety-six miners were underground when the explosion occurred around dawn at the mine in Yuxian county, Hebei province, with 79 workers managing to escape, according to the Xinhua news agency.
Eleven miners have been confirmed killed with six still missing, the report said, without giving a reason for the explosion.
China's coal mines are regarded as the world's most dangerous with nearly 6,000 workers dying in the industry last year, according to official figures.
Labor rights groups, such as the Hong Kong-based China Labour Bulletin, say the real number of mining deaths could be as high as 20,000 each year.
In one of the most recent major accidents, more than 50 people were killed in an explosion at an illegal mine in the northern Shanxi province.
