BEIJING: An explosion at a mine in central China on Thursday killed at least six people and left 34 others injured, many of them residents living near the pit, local authorities said.

The blast took place in Henan province`s Pingdingshan city, according to a report on the city`s official website. The mine was not operational at the time of the accident.

The explosion left a hole 10 metres (yards) deep and more than 10 metres wide, shattering windows 50 metres away and blowing off the roof of a large warehouse, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

Local authorities said 15 of those who were injured were nearby residents, and the rest were maintenance and security employees. They were all taken to hospital, where two of them were still in serious condition.

The cause of the blast had not yet been uncovered, officials said.

The mine was in the process of being taken over by China`s state-run Zhong Ping Energy Chemical Group, one of the nation`s top 500 firms, they added.

China`s vast coal mining industry is notoriously accident-prone due to lax regulation, corruption and inefficiency as mines rush to meet soaring demand.

BDST: 1510 HRS, July 8, 2010