Gold Bars shutterstock 2
Gold bars Shutterstock.com

A natural gas explosion has killed approximately 25 people in a gold mine in eastern Guinea, News24.com reported Thursday.

The incident occurred Wednesday at a remote mine in Siguiri province, 500 miles northeast of the capital, Conakry.

The West African country has one of the biggest gold reserves in the region and is struggling to provide security for artisanal miners, who work independently.

So far 14 bodies have been found and it is believed that none of the 25 miners in the pit at the time of the explosion survived.