China coal mine blast toll goes up to 41

The death toll in China's coal mine blast has further risen to 41, rescuers said on Friday.

The rescuers have retrieved 34 bodies so far and six miners were pulled out alive from Wednesday night till Friday morning, a working team sent by the State Administration of Work Safety told state-run Xinhua news agency.

In all 154 miners were working underground when the blast hit the Xiaojiawan Coal Mine in Panzhihua City at around 6 pm on Wednesday, and 110 of them have escaped on their own or have been pulled out of the shaft.

Three miners died on their way to hospital.

The coal mine, some 750 kilometres southwest of the provincial capital of Chengdu, is owned by Zhengjin Industry and Trade Company Ltd.

Three owners of the mine have been taken into police custody and an investigation into the accident is underway.

About 50 miners who were rescued suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning and the other four suffered burn-related injuries, the health department said, adding that most of the injured are in stable condition.

Meanwhile, provincial authorities have ordered a thorough probe and overhaul of coal mines and other hazardous businesses, the Xinhua report said.