SHANGHAI, Oct 26 (Reuters) - A coal mine explosion in southwestern China on Thursday killed seven miners and four others were still missing, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.

The 11 miners were working in a shaft of the Yuejin Coal mine on the outskirts of Chongqing City when a gas explosion occurred, Xinhua said.

Four others who were carrying out safety inspections in the mine when the accident occurred managed to escape unscathed, it said.

China's coal industry is the deadliest in the world, with 2,163 miners killed in 1,320 accidents in the first seven months of 2007.

Chinese President Hu pledged during a five-yearly Congress last week to improve worker safety and reduce the number of major industrial accidents.

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