Seven people were confirmed dead and another severely injured after a gas explosion occurred at a coal mine in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province early Friday morning.

The provincial production safety watchdog said that the explosion happened at around 3 a.m. at the state-owned Jidong Coal Mine owned by the Shenyang Coal Trade Group Corp. Ltd.

The production safety department said rescuers have been told that there was no others workers under the mine shaft at the time of the accident. The rescue work has stopped. The injured worker has been rushed to hospital.

An investigation into the accident is under way.