Four miners were killed in a gas leak in north China's Shanxi Province on Wednesday, the mining group said on Thursday.

The accident occurred at 5:17 AM when 17 miners were underground a coal pit of Sijiazhuang Coal Mining Co. in Xiyang County, said sources with the Yangquan Coal Industry (Group) Co..

Thirteen miners managed to escape. One died in hospital and rescuers recovered three bodies.

Yangquan Coal holds a 60 percent stake in Sijiazhuang Coal. The subsidiary is under construction and has an annual production capacity of 5 million tonnes.

(Xinhua News Agency June 12, 2009)