Nine people have been confirmed dead and eight others are missing following an explosion in a coal mine in north China's Hebei Province early Thursday, according to a mining group spokesperson.

Xu Kai, a spokesman from the publicity department of Fengfeng Mining Group in Handan, Hebei Province, told reporters the company had miscalculated the death toll. Earlier reports said 11 were killed and six were missing after the accident.

The accident took place at about 2 AM at Dashucun Coal Mine in Handan City, when 313 people were working underground. 296 managed to escape.

Dashucun Coal Mine is a state-owned colliery with a designed production capacity of 900,000 tons per year. It went into operation in January 2004.

Rescue operations are underway.

(Xinhua News Agency April 20, 2007)