Twenty-six workers were killed Thursday in an accident at a tin mine in central China's Hunan Province, state media reported.
The official Xinhua news agency quoted rescuers as saying that 19 miners were killed instantly when two lifts plunged in the tin ore facility due to a brake failure, while seven others died later of their injuries.
Five other workers were hurt in the incident, it said.
An investigation was under way and the provincial vice governor was at the scene of the accident.
China has a notoriously poor record for workplace accidents.
Its coal mines are among the most dangerous in the world, with safety standards often ignored in the quest for profits and the drive to meet surging demand for coal — the source of about 70 percent of China's energy.
Official figures show that more than 3,200 workers died in collieries last year, but independent labour groups say the actual figure could be much higher, as many accidents are covered up in order to avoid costly mine shutdowns.
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