The site of the mine blast. Picture taken on April 1 ,2010.[Xinhua]

The death toll in a central China mine blast Wednesday has risen to 19, and about 24 people were believed still trapped underground, local authorities said Friday.

About 90 miners were working underground when a gas explosion occurred at 7:20 p.m. in a coal pit privately owned by Guomin Mining Co., Ltd., in Yichuan County, Luoyang City in Henan Province, a spokesman with the rescue headquarters said.

A previous statement from the rescue headquarters said 51 miners survived the explosion. Of them, 31 were saved by rescuers and 20 others escaped by themselves.

Initial investigation showed that the blast killed 15 miners underground and four on the surface. Another two on the surface were injured. Twenty four people were still trapped underground, the spokesman said.

The mine's legal representative, Wang Guozheng, and other managers of the mine have fled after the accident. And the namelist of miners underground was buried in debris after the blast, making it difficult to nail down the exact number of people trapped, the spokesman said.

Provincial governor Guo Gengmao on Thursday ordered local police to find Wang.

Rescue works are underway.

Work safety authorities ordered the mine to suspend operations after a gas outburst on May 1, 2009, and production after that date was illegal, said a statement from the Henan Administration of Work Safety.

The coal mine was under technological renovation and was designed to have an annual production capacity of 150,000 tonnes.

Yichuan County Chief Wu Ligang and three other county officials have been removed from their posts since the accident.