A carbon dioxide burst at Jinhe Coal Mine in Lanzhou, Gansu province, has claimed the lives of five people and injured nine as of midday Monday, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The accident occurred around 9 am on Sunday, prompting local emergency response teams to deploy for rescue operations. Two people died at the scene, three were critically injured and later died in hospital while nine, who were not seriously injured, are being treated, according to the provincial government on Monday as reported by Xinhua.

READ MORE: Qinghai looks into illegal coal mining

Following the incident, relevant authorities in Gansu rushed to the scene to oversee rescue operations and ensure those injured received immediate medical treatment, according to the report.

The report added that Gansu will now launch a comprehensive investigation to identify and eliminate potential safety hazards.