BEIJING, September 4, 2008 (AFP) - Twenty-three people were killed on Thursday morning in a gas explosion at a coal mine in northeast China, state media reported.

The blast happened at a mine in the city of Fuxin in Liaoning province, one of China's main coal producing areas, Xinhua news agency said, giving no further details.

An official at the State Work Safety Administration told AFP she was unaware of the accident.

Nearly 3,800 people died in Chinese coal mines last year, according to official figures, although independent monitors say the real figure was likely far higher as many accidents are covered up.