HARBIN, Dec. 14 -- Ten people were trapped underground after a gas explosion at a coal mine in Jixi City in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province Sunday morning, the local safety watchdog said.

Rescuers rushed to the site in Jidong County, according to a statement from the provincial production safety supervision and administration bureau.

The explosion occurred at 10 a.m. at the Xingyun Colliery, according to the statement.