MOSCOW, October 8 (RIA Novosti) - Twenty-six workers were killed in a tin ore mine in south China on Thursday when the brakes on the elevator taking them down a shaft failed, Xinhua news agency reported.

When the elevator crashed on the floor of the mine, 19 people died on the spot. Another seven died after emergency treatment failed, the agency cited rescuers as saying.

The mine in Lengshuijiang City is operated by Shanxing Antimony Industry.

After the accident, the local government ordered safety checks of all mines in the province.

Thousands of people die in Chinese mines every year. According to official data around 3,200 people died in the country's mines last year, but independent figures suggest the actual toll is higher.