Six people have been confirmed dead in a gold mine collapse in Huaxian County, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, according to the local work safety administration. Three others managed to escape.

The accident occurred at about 6:00 PM Monday at the small, county-owned Taoyuan Gold Mine, an administration representative said. The mine had been closed for some time and an independent contractor who was considering taking over operations had sent in a team of nine miners to inspect when the collapse occurred.

By Tuesday afternoon three bodies had been found, but rescue efforts were hampered by continued collapses in the mine. By the time rescuers reached the last three miners, they had died of suffocation.

Local farmers stated that by Tuesday evening, all six bodies had been brought to the surface.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

(Xinhua News Agency November 3, 2004)