An accident in a mine in central Serbia killed at least eight people and wounded 20 Friday, state Serbian television RTS reported.

The accident in the Soko coal mine happened around 5 a.m. (0300 GMT). The RTS report says part of the mine pit collapsed trapping the miners inside.

The head of the medical center in nearby Aleksinac, Rodoljub Zivadinovic, said that 18 people have been hospitalized there, mostly with light injuries.

The TV report said that 49 miners were inside when the accident happened. No more details were immediately available.

The Soko mine, about 200 kilometers southeast of Belgrade, has been operating since the early 1900s. An accident in the mine in 1998 killed 29 miners.
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