Following the March 22 explosion, 60 bodies had been found, and by the middle of last week 12 miners were still missing. Fifteen miners survived the blast.

Over 100 rescuers worked around the clock searching the Mengnanzhuang mine. This was the third accident this month to kill more than 10 miners in Shanxi.

The mine had been extended without authorisation and was operating illegally despite repeated calls to stop production, according to the state bureau for workplace security. Authorities have ordered all of the province's coal mines to close for safety checks, the report said.