The explosion ripped through the mine on Monday with 20 miners killed immediately and 13 others recovered from the disaster died in hospitals afterwards.

Xinhua News Agency later raised the death toll but didn't reveal any details.

Efforts are still being made to find the five men trapped in the mine.

The explosion was in the state-owned Xingergou mine near the city of Datong.

Dow Jones News said 286 mine workers were rescued after the blast, according to reports on Chinese state television.

The exact cause of the explosion is still under investigation.