CHANGSHA - Nine people were killed after a gas explosion occurred at a coal mine in Binzhou City of central China's Hunan Province Sunday morning, said rescuers.

The rescue work has stopped as rescuers were told that there were altogether nine people working under the pit owned by Sandu Township, when the accident happened at 8 am.

The mine with an annual production capacity of 60,000 tonnes is under a technological renovation construction.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation.