By Faruk Zorlu
ANKARA (AA) – At least eight people were confirmed dead and 61 are trapped after a coal mine accident in China on Friday afternoon, local media said.
The incident occurred at approximately 2 p.m. local time (0600GMT) at the China Pingmei Shenma coal mine in the central Henan province, Shanghai Daily reported.
According to a preliminary investigation, the accident was caused by a coal and gas outburst in the outer section of an intake airway in the central Pingdingshan city.
An additional 15 people were listed as missing.
Local authorities mobilized emergency responders and launched a rescue operation to locate and extract the trapped miners. The cause of the outburst is currently under investigation.