The blast took place at 7:40 pm (1140 GMT) in Mianchi County in central Henan province, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported, while 33 miners were working underground.

Twenty miners escaped alive from the Juyuan Coal Industry Company mine but the remaining 13 were confirmed dead early Wednesday, provincial work safety bureau director Zhang Guohui was quoted as saying.

China's mining industry suffers frequent disasters, with floods, explosions and shaft collapses killing thousands each year.

Last year 2,631 Chinese miners were killed, according to official statistics, but independent labour groups say the true figure is likely to be much higher as many accidents are believed to be covered up.

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