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Story highlights
- Two miners managed to get out following the gas explosion
- 598 people died in mining accidents last year, official figures show
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.