From correspondents in Beijing, China, 10:02 PM IST

At least 42 miners were killed in a gas explosion in a coal mine in northeast China Saturday, an official said.

The explosion in a mine in Hegang city in Heilongjiang province, 400 km east of provincial capital Harbin, occurred 400 meters underground, said Zhang Jinguang, a spokesman with the rescue headquarters.

Pan Xiaowen, deputy director of the Hegang Mining Bureau Hospital, said that the hospital has taken in 29 injured miners from the accident, Xinhua reported.

'Six of them were seriously injured,' he said, adding all of the hospital's 800 medical workers have joined in the rescue work.

The mining company has confirmed that 528 miners were working underground, when the explosion occurred at around 2.30 a.m. Saturday.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)