A coal mine blast claimed three lives and injured seven people in Zhaotong City of southwest China's Yunnan Province on Tuesday, said an official Wan Yuanjie from the Zhenxiong county government Wednesday.

The gas blast occurred at around 9:00 AM Tuesday in Shilongxiang Coal mine when a total of 34 miners were working underground.

Among the 34 miners, 24 escaped and seven others were saved and hospitalized for minor injures later on Tuesday. The rest three were confirmed dead early Wednesday morning.

The colliery is a licensed private operation.

(Xinhua News Agency June 8, 2005)