Two executives of a state-owned coal mining group in central China's Henan Province were punished Tuesday after a gas outburst late Monday killed nine and trapped seven others.

Song Jiancheng, chief engineer of Zhengzhou Coal Industry Co. Ltd., was suspended from work, and Yang Mingjun, manager of the Sanyuandong Coal Mine, where the accident happened, was fired, announced vice governor of Henan Province Shi Jichun Tuesday at the accident site in Dengfeng City.

A total of 127 workers were working at the mine when the gas outburst occurred at 11:19 p.m. Monday. Among them, 111 were lifted safely to ground. Nine have been confirmed dead.

"Rescuers have been unable to enter the mine shaft, obstructed by the high concentration of gas," said Yu Haisen, one of the rescuers, Tuesday, adding chances for survival were slim for the seven trapped.

The coal mine has a designed annual output of 300,000 tonnes.