Gas explosion rocks China’s Chongqing coal mine leaving at least 33 miners trapped

AT least 33 people are trapped after a gas explosion rocked a mine in Chongqing, China.

The coal mine exploded at 11.30am local time this morning, local authorities said.

A number of people are thought to be either trapped or missing after the explosion ripped through the shaft they were working in.

A rescue mission and investigations into the blast are underway.

Only two of the 35 people working at the time of the explosion are thought to have made it out of the mine safely.

Last month 20 miners died in a blast at a mine in China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

China's mining industry has long been among the world's deadliest, although safety improvements and the closure of smaller, more dangerous mines have reduced the death toll in recent years.

The country is the world's largest producer and consumer of coal, but has announced plans to shutter more than 1,000 outdated mines.

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