Twenty-nine people were confirmed dead and 19 injured in a coal mine gas explosion in northwest China's Gansu Province, rescuers said on Tuesday.

The explosion occurred at 12:16 PM Tuesday at the Weijiadi mine belonging to Jingyuan Coal Industry Corporation in Baiyin City, about 100 kilometers northwest of Lanzhou, the provincial capital.

A ventilation system was being checked when the blast occurred, said Wang Jun, general manager of the company.

Workers above ground only realized an accident had occurred when a sudden blackout of gas monitoring and communication systems occurred at 1:36 PM They immediately started emergency procedures, Wang said.

The 29 fatalities, including one death in hospital, occurred on one level, where six miners were injured, including one seriously. Thirty-six miners, including 13 injured, were rescued from other levels.

All the injured are being treated at local hospitals.

All the dead had been identified, said provincial work safety authorities, adding that their families would be informed on Wednesday.

Acting provincial governor Xu Shousheng and deputy governor Yang Zhiming visited the site to oversee rescue procedures.

The cause of the explosion is under investigation.

(Xinhua News Agency November 1, 2006)