Five people have died from sulfuric acid poisoning while illegally mining for stannum in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the local government said on Friday.

The Nandan County government said five people were confirmed dead after illegally mining in a shaft at the Gaofeng Mining Co. Ltd.

Four bodies were found on April 18 in an abandoned shaft by patrolling workers. Two more miners were found earlier in a carotic state on April 16. One died on Tuesday in hospital. The other was out of critical following treatment.

Police have arrested Liu Taiyang, suspected to be one of three organizers of the illegal mining activity.

Liu told police that on April 15, 12 people and three organizers, including himself, went to a Gaofeng Mining shaft but were poisoned by the sulfuric acid they took in the mining. Police confirmed 13 of the 15 alleged miners identified by Liu and were still checking on the remaining two.

(Xinhua News Agency April 26, 2008)