At least 24 miners have been killed and 54 injured by an underground fire at a mine in China's north-eastern Liaoning province, state media report.

The mine is operated by the state-owned Liaoning Fuxin Coal Corporation, said the Xinhua news agency.

The cause of the fire is not immediately clear, but the company said the rescue operation had now ended.

China has the world's deadliest mines, with hundreds of mine workers killed in accidents every year.

But its safety record has shown signs of improvement in recent years as the authorities enforce a strict compliance with safety laws and procedures.