14 dead in China Coal Mining Blast

April 21 -- Thirteen people were confirmed dead in a coal mine gas explosion in southwest China's Yunnan Province early Monday, the local government said.

The accident happened at around 12:30 a.m. in a pit of Hongtutian Coal Mine in Fuyuan County in the city of Qujing, the county government said in a press release.

A total of 56 people were working in the pit, of whom 42 escaped without injuries and 14 were trapped, it said.

As of 8 a.m., rescuers had retrieved 13 dead bodies and were searching all-out for the missing miner.

The county government said Hongtutian is a private mine and is properly licensed for operation.