NANCHANG - Three people are missing after a vehicle carrying explosives blew up in a copper ore mine on Thursday morning in Yongping county in East China's Jiangxi province, local sources said.

At about 9:50 am, the vehicle exploded while it was being washed in the copper ore mine, which is affiliated to Jiangxi Copper Corporation, rescuers said.

Rescuers are searching for the missing people. No casualties have been reported.

An investigation into the explosion is underway.

Yongping copper ore mine covers an area of about 10 square kilometers. It is the country's second largest open pit copper mine.