Death toll rose to ten following the collapse of a coal mine shaft in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Sunday, according to local authorities Monday morning.

Body of the last victim was recovered at 3?AM Monday.

The accident occurred at 3:10?PM in the privately-owned Guangyuan coal mine in Fukang when the 14 were working underground, said Wu Jiachun, deputy director of Xinjiang regional administration of coal industry.

Poisonous gases gushed after the roof of the shaft fell. Nine miners, suffocated by the gases, were found dead on Sunday.

One seriously injured man is being treated in hospital. Doctors said that he has not been out of danger yet.

Local sources said the rest three missing might have slim chance to survive, but rescue work is still underway.

Wu guessed that the accident could be caused by landslide triggered by a ceiling collapse in part of the coal mine, while actual cause is under investigation.

Mine managers were taken into custody.

The coal mine has a license to produce 30,000 tons per year, according to Wu.

A memorial stone was just erected in Fukang this past July by the county's committee of work safety in mourning of the 83 miners killed by the coal mine gas blast on July 11 last year.

(Xinhua News Agency August 14, 2006)