Beijing, Nov 16 (IANS): At least 26 people were killed on Thursday after a fire broke at a building of a coal mine company in China's Shanxi province, local authorities confirmed.

According to the National Mine Safety Administration, the fire ripped through the second floor of the five-storey building located in Lishi district of Lyuliang city, Xinhua news agency reported.

Rescue efforts are underway, the authorities added.

More than 60 people have been sent to a local hospital for treatment.

The building belongs to the private Yongju coal mine company, which has a production capacity of 120 tonnes a year.

Shanxi province is China's largest producer of coal.

Industrial accidents, which can result in fires, often occur in China, the BBC reported.

In April, 29 people died in a hospital fire in the capital of Beijing.

Last October, an explosion at a barbecue restaurant in the north-western Yinchuan province killed 31 people.