Thirty-two miners are confirmed dead and 28 more injured in a coal mine gas explosion in Fuyuan, a mountainous county in southwest China's Yunnan Province, local sources said Sunday.

The explosion took place at about 5:17 p.m. Saturday at Changyuan Coal Mine in Housuo Township of Fuyuan, three and a half hours' bus ride from Kunming, the provincial capital of Yunnan.

Information from the headquarters in charge of the rescue operation said the operation was still going on, but the exact number of miners in the shaft when the gas explosion took place had not yet been verified.

All the injured, including one in critical condition, are hospitalized and rescue operations are going on.

The cause of the gas explosion is under investigation.

A work team consisting of officials with governments at various levels are carrying out guidance and direction on rescue operations on the spot.

The central government has urged Yunnan to further strengthen inspection on work-safety and close all illegal coal mines across the province.

Changyuan Coal Mine, about 25 km away from the seat of Fuyuan County, is a privately owned business that came into being more than two years ago. The mine is said to have a coal reserve of 6.02 million tons.

The accident is the result of illegal operations of unqualified privately owned coal mine, local resources said Sunday.

Editor: Donald