High-speed rail tunnel explosion in China kills 12 people.

While under construction, a high-speed rail tunnel in China exploded, killing at least 12 people and injuring 12 others.

It took rescue workers 14 hours to find the workers trapped after the explosion - Photo: AP

According to Xinhua News Agency, the explosion occurred on the afternoon of May 2nd in a tunnel under construction in Guizhou province. The incident left 12 people injured and 12 trapped.

More than 2,000 rescue workers were mobilized to rescue those trapped. After 14 hours of searching, by the morning of May 3rd, they found 12 people still trapped, but all of them had died.

The cause of the explosion is under investigation, but according to some initial reports, the tunnel ran through a coal seam.

Reports indicate that most of the victims were migrant workers, and rescue efforts were hampered by the high concentration of toxic carbon monoxide (CO) gas inside the tunnel.

Industrial accidents are common in China, mostly due to a failure to strictly adhere to safety regulations.

According to the latest government statistics, in 2015, the country recorded 66,000 deaths while working.

According to Tuoi Tre newspaper