(CNN) -- A gas explosion Saturday killed at least 20 workers and 17 more were trapped at a coal mine in central China, authorities said
China's State Administration of Work Safety said about 276 workers were underground in the mine in Henan province when the blast occurred.
Authorities were able to rescue 239 people.
The explosion comes after China announced this week that it had closed 1,355 small coal mines this year, according to Xinhua
The effort was part of a larger plan to restructure the mining industry to prevent deadly accidents and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, China's state-run media agency Xinhua reported, citing the National Energy Administration (NEA).
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