Fifteen people died after they inhaled poisoned gas in a graphite mine Monday in central China's Hunan Province, local authorities said Saturday.

The accident occurred at around 4:00 PM Friday at Jicai Graphite Mine in Yuanlutang township, Beihu District, Chenzhou City. The rescue ended at 3:00 AM Saturday morning, said a municipal government spokesman.

Further details are not yet available, and the cause of the accident is being investigated.

Also in Chenzhou, eight miners trapped underground Monday by a flood at the Wangda Graphite Mine were saved Tuesday afternoon.

(Xinhua News Agency August 29, 2009)