CHENGDU - Seven people died in a coal mine accident in Southwest China's Sichuan province on Wednesday, local emergency management authorities said.

At approximately 10 am on Wednesday, a total of eight workers were trapped during an air shaft sealing operation in the coal mine in the Wutongqiao district of the city of Leshan in Sichuan.

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Search and rescue efforts had confirmed the deaths of seven people as of 2 pm on Wednesday. Search and rescue operations continue with one person still missing.

The cause of the accident is still being investigated.