Fourteen miners Monday were confirmed dead and nine others missing in a coal mine gas explosion on Saturday evening in central China's Henan Province.

The explosion happened at about 5:00 pm Saturday in Sundian Coal Mine in Xiaotun Town of Ruzhou City when 57 miners were working underground, according to the rescue command office.

The cause of the explosion in the private coal mine was still unknown. However, five people in charge of safety and maintenance have been held by local police for further investigation as rescue work are still under way by press time, local sources said.

(Xinhua News Agency November 24, 2003)