At least 203 miners were killed, 22 injured and 13 trapped in a coal mine gas explosion Monday afternoon in Fuxin, a city in northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Zhang Yunfu, vice general manager of the Fuxin coal industry group said the work operation was normal Monday morning, and a coal mine quake took place at 2:50 p.m. at the No.3316 working face of Sunjiawan colliery of the Fuxin coal industry group.

The gas blast occurred at about 3:00 p.m. about 242 meters underground.

Rescue operation began immediately and further investigation is underway.

Officials from the provincial government, Fuxin and other relevant departments have rushed to the mine.

The designed yearly production capacity of Sunjiawan colliery is 1.5 million tons.

(Xinhua News Agency February 15, 2005)