Beijing: A total of 163 people have been killed in a devastating explosion at a natural gas field in Southwest China's Chongqing municipality, State media said today (Dec 25, 2003).

The confirmed death toll as of 16:00 hrs (13.30 hrs IST), according to the official Xinhua news agency, marked a dramatic rise from the eight people dead reported earlier in the day.

The accident happened late Tuesday (Dec 23, 2003) at the Chuandongbei gas field in Chongqing's Kaixian county, when a high concentration of natural gas and sulphurated hydrogen shot out of a burst well, Xinhua said.

The situation had been brought under control, the agency said, adding that the cause of the accident was under investigation.