Beijing - A sudden escape of gas and coal killed at least 31 people and left 13 missing at a mine in the central Chinese province of Henan on Sunday, the government said.

The accident occurred at the privately operated Xinfeng No. 2 coal mine in Henan's Dengfang city at about 1:30 am, the State Administration of Work Safety reported.

Rescue workers had confirmed the death of 31 miners by mid-morning and were searching for 13 others still missing underground, the administration said.

The official Xinhua news agency said that 68 other miners had escaped after the accident.

The mine was licensed to produce up to 150,000 tons of coal annually.

Meanwhile, rescuers on Sunday had confirmed the death of another 19 miners after a fire early Saturday at a coal mine in the north-eastern province of Heilongjiang, the safety administration said.

Forty-four miners were working when the fire ripped through an underground shaft at the Fuhua mine in Heilongjiang's Hegang city and 13 had escaped, leaving 12 still missing, it said.

Accidents kill an estimated 10,000 people annually in Chinese mines. The accidents are often triggered by outdated equipment and poor safety measures with many occurring at illegal mines. (dpa)