A gas explosion at a coal mine operating without a proper licence has killed 29 miners in central China.

Some 35 miners were working in the state owned Xialiuchong Coal Mine in Hengyang city, Hunan Province, at the time of the blast, which happened on Saturday night.

The bodies of all the dead had been recovered. Six miners had been rescued and were being treated in hospital to the relief of relatives, who had gathered outside the mine awaiting news.

The mine, which was owned by the city government, was legally registered but the provincial government suspended its production licence earlier this year for lack of adequate safety measures, state television said.

The explosion occurred after sparks from machinery ignited flammable gas that had filled the mine.

The 40 year old mine had more than 500 employees. Some 160 workers were on shift at the time of the accident but only 35 were actually underground.

(Sourced from Xinhua)