At least 18 workers have been killed in a coal mine accident in China's Hunan Province, local authorities on Monday said.
Reports state that around 55 people were working in a mining shaft on Saturday when a gas leak occurred at the Jilinqiao colliery in Huangfengqiao Township, Youxian County.
Around 37 miners were rescued, while 18 were declared dead, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Officials are investigating the case, and testing substances in the poisonous gas which led to the workers' death. Police have reportedly detained those responsible for the accident.
China is the world's largest coal producer and witnesses deadly accidents in mines frequently. In March, around 17 miners were killed when a lift used to move workers fell down a shaft in northeastern Heilongjiang province.
China is also dismal when it comes to workplace safety standards and prioritises business and profits above all else.
Other industrial disasters in the country include an explosion at a hazardous material warehouse in the eastern city of Tianjin in August 2015 that killed at least 114 people.
