SHIJIAZHUANG - Unskillful handling of explosives by local farmers who attempted to illegally exploit a mine in North China killed seven of them and wounded four others, the government said Saturday.

Initial probe shows that a group of farmers tried to blast their way into an iron ore in Tang county, Hebei province, late Friday night. But the explosives suddenly went off and hit themsevles instead, the government said in a statement.

The injured have been hospitalized. Among them, one remains in critical conditions and was transferred to a provincial-level hospital.

Police said they are still hunting the other suspects and probing the source of the explosives.