(Photo : The Bailongshan Coal Mine in the city of Quijing in Yunnan Province)

The Emergency Response Office of the city of Quijing said a miner was killed while eight others were trapped in a coal and gas outburst at a coal mine early Sunday.

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The accident took place at the Bailongshan Coal Mine in the city of Quijing in Yunnan Province past 4 a.m. on Sunday. The coal mine is operated by Diandong Energy Co. Ltd. under the state-owned energy company, China Huaneng Group.

Authorities said 12 miners were tunneling a mine shaft when the coal and gas outburst took place. Three of the miners were safely lifted out of the shaft.

Rescue Operation

The cause of the accident was still being determined as rescue workers act to save the trapped miners. One miner was confirmed dead by the authorities.

Last May, 28 miners were killed and nine other trapped when gas explosion occurred in a colliery in Sichuan Province. The accident took place inside the Taozigou coal mine in the city of Luzhou just a few hours after 108 miners started working underground.

Authorities found out in an investigation that the coal mine gas explosion was a result of illegal mining. Based on the initial investigation, an unauthorized mining was conducted at the Taozigou coal mine, which resulted to the gas explosion that killed 28 workers, according to a statement from the provincial work safety supervision bureau.

China is World's Biggest Consumer of Coal

Mining continues to flourish in China as the country remains the world's biggest consumer of coal, relying on the fossil fuel for 70 per cent of its growing energy needs.

With the sprouting of illegal mines around the country, the Chinese government has implemented measures to control the industry in order to avoid accidents that have resulted to fatalities.

China's stricter mining management resulted to the decrease of total deaths by more than 30 per cent last year. According to government data, total mine deaths in 2012 was only 1,384 or 30 per cent lower than the previous year.