Nine more Chinese miners trapped underground for over two weeks have been confirmed dead, state media reported Monday, leaving one still unaccounted for after a blast at the site.
"From Sunday afternoon to this afternoon, rescue workers have not stopped searching, and found a further nine trapped miners who unfortunately all died," state broadcaster CCTV quoted the mayor of Yantai city as saying.
Eleven miners were rescued alive on Sunday.
The miners were brought to the surface starting from around 11 am Sunday, CCTV reported -- a major breakthrough for a rescue operation that has captivated the nation.
One miner was in "extremely weak physical condition" and rushed to hospital, CCTV said.
The 11 miners were rescued after the air ventilator shaft was cleared, the official state news agency Xinhua reported, citing the operation's command center.
