BEIJING - A gas explosion ripped through a coal mine in Northeast China's Liaoning province Thursday, killing at least five people and trapping 17 others, the national work safety watchdog said.

A total of 23 miners were working underground at the Dahuang No 2 Coal Mine in Liaoyang city when the accident happened at noon, the State Administration of Work Safety announced in a statement.

One of them has managed to escape, and rescuers are struggling to the search for the trapped people, it said.

No further details were provided.