The miners were killed when a gas explosion ripped through a mine shaft in the Shenlong coal mine, located 60km from Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, in the early hours of Monday morning. Only four workers survived the blast.

According to media reports, the mine accident has been labelled as the worst in the region’s history.

The mine managers were criticised for sending too many workers underground in a bid to increase production, and for failing to evacuate workers after high gas levels were detected inside the mine.

Meanwhile in related news the official Xinhua news agency reported that the death toll in another accident was higher than previously reported after it was found the mining company hid 17 bodies.

Officials at the illegal Jiajiapu Coal Mine in central Shanxi province reported that 19 miners had died in the accident on July 2, but a total of 36 were actually killed, Xinhua said.

An investigation disclosed that mine officials had shipped the bodies to other areas to cover up the death toll. The unreported bodies were found in Ulanqab, a city in China's northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.