Rescuers recovered three bodies from Sunday's coal mine explosion in southwest China's Sichuan Province, a provincial work safety bureau official said on Monday.

Seven miners are still missing.

The accident happened at 12:50 p.m. at the Xingfu Coal Mine in Hongqiao Township, Yibin City, when 21 miners were working underground, the official said.

Eleven miners escaped on their own. Rescue efforts to find the seven still missing, continue.

According to preliminary estimates, more than 230 tons of coal and 5,000 cubic meters of gas erupted in the explosion. No word yet on a cause.

(Xinhua News Agency October 13, 2008)