Five miners trapped in a coal mine in east China's Jiangxi Province were killed by leaking gases while two other miners have been rescued, according to the local authorities.

The two miners that were rescued are out of danger, an official with the Jiangxi Administration of Coal Mine Safety, who declined to give his name, told Xinhua on Friday.

The accident took place at about 4:30 PM on Thursday at the Jianxin Coal Mine in Shangtang Township, Fengcheng City when the miners struck an underground gas chamber.

The coal shaft in which they were working filled with gas within seconds, and it could have caused an explosion, said the unidentified official.

Three of the miners where formerly local farmers, four others are from the neighboring counties of Gao'an and Ji'an, said the official.

The coal mine has been ordered to stop production and an investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.

(Xinhua News Agency August 18, 2006)