TAIYUAN - Seven workers died in a gas explosion in a coal mine in North China's Shanxi province, work safety authorities said Monday.

A total of 17 people were working in the Sijiazhuang Coal Mine in Xiyang county when the blast occurred at around 3 pm Monday, according to the provincial coal mine safety administration.

Seven died at the scene, and another ten workers escaped unharmed, it added.

The mine has a designed capacity of 5 million tonnes.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.