According to reports, the fire broke out at the SanjiaOshu Coal Mine on Sunday morning, the Panzhou City Government said in a notice posted on its website on Sunday night.

All coal mines in Panzhou city suspended production for a day due to the incident. However, accidents occur frequently in such mines in the country, which have weak safety systems.

At least 57 people went missing after a coal mine collapsed in China's autonomous Inner Mongolia region in February this year.