The death toll from a coal mine blast in central China's Hunan Province rose to eight Tuesday, while two high-ranking local officials were dismissed, according to the local government.

One more person, surnamed An, was confirmed dead Tuesday, said the spokesman for Lengshuijiang municipal government.

An was reported to have asked for leave before the gas blast and he did not register before entering the mine on Sunday.

The deputy head of Zhonglian Township government, who was in charge of work safety, and the head of the coal administration were fired on Tuesday, the spokesman said.

The accident occurred at around 6:25 p.m. Sunday at the Minxing Coal Mine in Zhonglian Township, Lengshuijiang City, while 16 miners were working underground. Eight miners managed to escape.

Rescue work finished at around 5 a.m. Monday, leaving the death toll at seven and one injured. The death toll rose to eight Tuesday after one more miner was confirmed dead.

The mine's legal representative, who allegedly attempted to conceal the accident, is in police custody.

Minxing Coal Mine opened in 1994 and operates under collective ownership with an annual productivity of 60,000 tonnes of coal.