GUIYANG, May 25  -- Five people died and another four are missing after a colliery gas burst on Sunday in southwest China's Guizhou Province, local authorities said.

The accident happened at about 3:51 p.m. at the state-owned Yushe Coal Mine in Shuicheng County.

A total of 240 miners were working underground and 231 managed to escape when the gas burst happened.

Five bodies were found and search for the four missing is under way as of 6:50 p.m..

The cause of the accident is being investigated.