Coal mine explosion kills 21 in China's Xinjiang

Two coal mine workers take a break at the accident site where a gas explosion happened at the Yangjiagou coal mine in Hutubi County in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Dec. 13, 2013. The explosion occurred at 1:26 a.m. when 34 miners were working underground. Twelve workers managed to escape themselves. Among the trapped twenty two workers, twenty one were confirmed dead, said the region's emergency response office. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

Twenty-one miners were killed after a gas explosion in a coal mine early on Friday in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, regional emergency response office said.

The office said earlier that 22 miners were trapped in the mine following the explosion. Only one survived.

The blast happened at 1:26 a.m. at the Baiyanggou coal mine in Hutubi County in Hui Autonomous Prefecture of Changji, when 34 miners were working underground, the prefecture government said.

Twelve workers managed to escape.

Professional coal mine rescue teams and firefighters had been sent to the site, according to the regional bureau of coal mine safety supervision.