Thirteen miners have been confirmed dead after a gas blast in a coal mine in north China's Shanxi Province, local government sources said on Monday.

The explosion occurred at 7:10 PM on Sunday in the Niheling coal mine in Jingle County, said a Jingle county government spokesman, adding that the mine was licensed for operations.

Three mine managers and a work safety supervision official have been detained by the police.

Rescue efforts ended on Monday afternoon, and the cause of the blast is still being investigated.

(Xinhua News Agency June 5, 2007)