Gas explosion in southern China kills 11

A gas explosion at a road construction site in south-western China today killed 11 workers and left 20 missing, the government said.

The official Xinhua News Agency said the explosion occurred in a tunnel under construction near Dujiangyan city in southwestern Sichuan province.

The China Railway Engineering Company was responsible for the highway project, Xinhua said.

The bodies of 11 workers have been recovered so far, the agency said. Ten people were injured and about 20 were missing, it said.

There was some confusion about the exact number of workers who were at the site when the explosion occurred, Xinhua said.

An investigation is underway.