Thirty four miners were killed on Monday in a gas explosion in a coal mine in Hebi City in central China's Henan province, the local government said.

The explosion occurred early morning in a coal mine belonging to the Henan Hebi Coal company. So far, 34 bodies have been found.

Senior provincial government officials have rushed to the site to direct rescue efforts. The cause of the accident is still under investigation, Xinhua news agency reported.

China, the world's largest coal producer, has witnessed a series of major coal mine accidents in 2005 as the nation faced an acute power shortage.

Officials often blame the growing number of accidents to lax safety standards.