Eight miners are trapped and feared dead after a coal mine blast in central China's Hunan Province, officials with the provincial coal mine safety authority said Sunday.

The mine owner had disappeared and failed to report the gas explosion, which was reported to have occurred around 2:00 a.m. on Saturday in Mingxing village, Matian Township of Yongxing County, said He De'an, director of the authority's accident investigation department.

He said the county government received a report from residents hours later on Saturday and about 11 miners were believed to be working in the mine when the accident happened.

More than 60 rescuers rushed to the scene and found three miners, but eight others were still trapped, He said.

Two explosions happened after rescue work began, and the high density of gas and carbon monoxide in the shafts has almost made it impossible for the trapped miners to survive, He said.

The mine had been ordered to close several times. Just two days before the accident, the county government had organized 40 officials to close small mines in the area, He said.

But the mine owner somehow managed to hide the equipment in the shaft during the day and operate at night, according to the miners who survived.

Local police are searching for the mine owner.

(Xinhua News Agency April 22, 2007)