NANCHANG - Four people have died and another seven are trapped after a coal and gas outburst at a colliery in East China's Jiangxi province, local authorities said on Monday.

The accident happened around 5:45 am, when miners were working underground at a coal mine owned by Jiangxi Coal Group Corporation in Qujiang county of Fengcheng city, the provincial coal mine safety supervision administration said.

Rescue work is ongoing and the cause of the accident is under investigation.