According to China Daily, the incident happened early Friday morning when 13 miners were working at the Yuanlin coal mine.

One miner managed to escape at the time of the incident, while seven others were rescued on Saturday and taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Xinhua news agency said four people were later confirmed dead according to a statement from the local rescue headquarters.

Rescuers are continuing to search for the missing miner.

It is believed an initial investigation at the mine found the colliery’s floor-to-roof pillars were insufficient.

The cave is the latest in a series of coal mining accidents to rock the country.

Last week, a gas leak at a coal mine in China’s Henan province trapped 23, while 34 people were confirmed dead.

It is believed the Sizhuang mine was operating without a mine license after it was revoked a year ago.

China’s coal mines remain the most dangerous in the world, despite a recent government crackdown on illegal and unsafe mines.

According to figures obtained from the State Administration of Coal Mine Safety, 2433 miners were killed in coal mine accidents in China last year.