Beijing, Sep 24 (AP) A coal mine fire in southern China killed 16 people on Sunday, according to local authorities.

The blaze broke out at the Shanjiaoshu coal mine in Panguan, a town in Guizhou province.

Also Read | US: Ancient Buddha Statue Worth Rs 12.5 Crore Stolen From Los Angeles Art Gallery, Heist Caught on CCTV.

An initial investigation suggested the people who died were trapped after a conveyor belt caught fire, the Panzhou city government said in a statement posted on social media.

China, the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, continues to depend heavily on coal for electricity despite massive expansion of its wind and solar power capacity.

Also Read | India-Canada Tension: After Khalistani Terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar's Killing, FBI Warned Sikhs in US About Death Threats.

The country's coal mining industry has improved the safety conditions for workers in recent years but deaths still happen. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)