A coal mine blast has killed five miners and left one missing in north China's Hebei Province, local authorities said today.

The gas explosion occurred in Xipo Coal Mine in Weixian County, Zhangjiakou City at 7:30 PM on Wednesday, according to the provincial coal mine safety bureau.

Six miners were doing maintenance down the shaft when the blast happened, and rescuers rushed to the scene immediately after the accident, the bureau said.

The colliery, with an annual capacity of 60,000 tons, had not got a safety license for operations, the bureau added.

166 miners had been confirmed killed and seven still missing as of 9:30 AM today after Sunday's blast at Dongfeng Coal Mine in Qitaihe City in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang.

Yesterday, the State Council announced that an investigation team headed by Zhao Tiechui, head of the State Administration of Coal Mine Safety Supervision, has been set up in Qitaihe to investigate the cause of the accident.

(Xinhua News Agency December 2, 2005)