Rescuers are now searching for 13 missing.

But the rescue was hampered as the water level had not dropped quickly enough and it was adjacent to a disused shaft full of water and toxic gas, he said.

A total of 261 miners were working below ground when the mine was flooded on March 28, and 108 miners escaped unharmed while 153 were trapped underground.

On April 5, 115 miners were brought out of the mine alive after being trapped for more than a week. They are receiving medical care in five hospitals in Hejin and Taiyuan Cities.