KUNMING - Nine people were confirmed dead and two others were injured in an outburst of gas and coal early Wednesday at a colliery in Southwest China's Yunnan province, the local government said.

The accident happened at 1:06 am in a pit of Jiala Coal Mine in Huangnihe Town of Fuyuan county, the county government said in a press release.

It said 85 workers were in the pit, of whom 74 escaped, eight were killed at the scene and three were injured.

One of the injured died later in hospital.

The local government has launched an investigation, the document said without giving details.

The coal-rich Fuyuan County has 15 billion tonnes of proven reserves.