Blast kills 7 Chinese miners

BEIJING, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- At least seven Chinese coal miners were killed and another five injured Saturday when a gas explosion ripped through the underground shaft where they toiled.

One more miner was reported missing at the Shunxing Coal Mine in Yunnan Province in southwest China, Xinhua reported. Another 14 miners escaped, the government-run news agency said.

The coal mine had been ordered to suspend operations until renovations were made after local mine administration staff inspected the mine Friday, but coal mine managers allegedly had the miners return to work secretly that night, Xinhua said.