China mine blast kills 13, injures 11

BEIJING, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- A gas blast killed 13 people in a coalmine in northern China's Shanxi province, Xinhua reported Saturday.

The explosion took place while 30 miners were working underground Friday, safety administrators confirmed.

Eleven miners were killed instantly, eleven injured, and another eight escaped from the mine, Xinhua said. Two of the eleven injured died on the way to a local hospital.

The coalmine is undergoing an expansion project and safety authorities were at the scene Saturday investigating the cause of the blast, Xinhua said.