16 die in China gold mine fire

BEIJING - Sixteen miners were killed when a fire broke out in a gold mine in eastern China, Xinhua reported Saturday.

About 300 people were working underground when the accident occurred around 5 p.m. Friday in Luoshan gold mine in Zhaoyuan city, officials said.

Most of the victims were suffocated. Seven miners remained trapped.

By 8.30 a.m. Saturday, the underground blaze had been put out but power to parts of the shaft had yet to be restored. Dozens of injured were hospitalised.

Contact with the trapped miners has been established and efforts are on to rescue them.

An initial probe showed that the fire was caused by an underground cable. Owner of the mine was arrested.