FUZHOU -- Five people who entered an abandoned mine in Youxi county, East China's Fujian province, were confirmed dead on Sunday, local authorities said.

At around 9:50 am Sunday, the county's fire and rescue bureau received a report that five people had entered the mine in Banmian Town and later lost contact. Rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the scene to conduct search and rescue operations.

By 1:20 pm, all five individuals had been found and rushed to hospital for treatment. By 3 pm, all five had been pronounced dead despite medical efforts.

An investigation into the cause of the incident is underway.