Death toll from the colliery gas blast in north China's Shanxi Province rose to 23 as rescuers recovered four more miners' body on Saturday afternoon.

The rest 24 trapped miners likely do not survive due to the high intensity of toxic gas and serious tunnel cave-in, according to the local rescue headquarters.

The State Council set up a task force on Friday to investigate the cause of the coal mine blast, which occurred at 11:45 AM on Sunday in the Jiaojiazhai Coal Mine of Xuangang Company under Datong Coal Mine Group in Xinzhou, a central-north city of Shanxi Province.

Headed by Li Yizhong, director of the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS), the investigation group will also try to find if any people is accountable for the accident.

Though the direct cause of the blast is still under investigation, the task force sent by the State Council blamed it "to be rooted from production safety ignorance and a chaotic management of the mine owner."

Li said he was "shocked to see the long-existing serious hidden dangers in the mine and the miners' habitual ignorance of the operation instructions."

The official vowed to severely punish the related individuals and companies and urged all coal mine owners in China draw a lesson from the accident.

(Xinhua News Agency November 12, 2006)