Six miners died in hospital Tuesday morning after a gas poisoning at a colliery in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Monday evening, local authorities said.

The accident happened at about 10:20 p.m. in Luxinju Coal Mine of Juneng Coal Mine Co. Ltd, Jungar Banner when six miners were poisoned by unknown gas, a banner government official said.

The first miner was rescued at 5:25 a.m. and the rest of them were pulled out of the pit at 6:15 a.m.. They were rushed to the hospital but died later, he said.

Luxinju Coal Mine is a licensed, private mine with a reserve of 19.87 million tonnes.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

(Xinhua News Agency March 10, 2009)