A coal mine shaft has collapsed in northwest China, killing 16 miners, officials said.

Another 11 were injured in the accident in Tiechanggou township, outside the Xinjiang regional capital of Urumqi. Thirty-three miners were in the shaft at the time. Six were taken to hospital by rescuers, an official with the State Administration of Work Safety said. He said the cave-in was under investigation.

China's mines are among the most dangerous in the world, although improved safety measures have vastly lowered the number of fatalities in recent years.