Workers found dead in China mine explosion

Rescuers carry a miner who was trapped in a gold mine (Luan Qincheng/Xinhua via AP)

Rescuers in China have found the bodies of nine workers in a mine explosion, raising the death toll to 10.

Eleven others were rescued earlier after being trapped for two weeks, and one person is still missing at the gold mine in Shandong province.

Search efforts will continue for the remaining miner until he is found, said Chen Fei, the mayor of Yantai city, where the mine is located.

Eleven workers who were trapped for two weeks were brought safely (Chen Hao/Xinhua via AP)

“Until this worker is found, we will not give up,” he said at a news conference.

The cause of the accident at the mine, which was under construction, is under investigation. The explosion on January 10 was large enough to release 70 tonnes of debris that blocked the shaft, disabling elevators and trapping workers underground.

Rescuers drilled parallel shafts to send down food and nutrients and eventually bring up the survivors on Sunday.