AFP reported that at least 13 miners were killed when an explosion ripped through a mine in southwestern China, just weeks after safety inspectors warned of high levels of gas in the shaft.

As per report the blast occurred in the Gaoqiao coal mine in Chongqing municipality early Thursday evening. An investigation into the precise cause of the explosion is underway.

China is the world's largest coal producer and consumer, and its mines have been rife with accidents as energy demand has rocketed along with the boom in the nation's economy.