Nine?miners died and another seven were injured after a coal mine gas blast on Friday morning in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, a local safety official said.

The accident occurred at around 9:20 a.m. in a well of Heshan Coal Mine Co. Ltd in Heshan City, said Zeng Biao, the Laibin Municipal Work Safety Bureau deputy head.

Heshan is a city administered by Laibin City.

Less than 100 miners were underground at the time of the blast according to the company, Zeng said.

The bureau is verifying the exact number, he said.

In total, 91 miners were found. Eighteen miners were helping with the rescue work under the well and 66 got out of the well safely, he said.

Rescuers were still working in a shaft yet to be searched.

Heshan Coal Mine Co. Ltd is a joint venture with a Hong Kong investment company. It has the exploitation right and mining rights for 820 million tons of coal mine in three mines in Guangxi and neighbouring Guizhou Province.

It is the largest coal mine company in Guangxi with an annual production capacity of around 8 million tons.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

(Xinhua News Agency?October 10, 2008)