12 hurt in tunnel explosion; 11 trapped

An explosion ripped through a railway tunnel that was under construction in Guizhou province on Tuesday, injuring 12 people and leaving 11 others trapped, local authorities said.

The incident happened around 2:50 pm in Liulong township, Dafang county, a spokesman for the county government said.

Explosive methane gas is suspected because methane is a byproduct of coal and the Qishanyan Tunnel passes through a coal seam, the spokesman said. The precise cause is under investigation.