A body is taken out the mine on February 22, 2009

Xue Huancheng, 27, said on his hospital bed that he had been working in the coal mine for four years.

"We didn't feel anything unusual before the accident this morning," recalled Xue, a native of Shanxi.

He told Xinhua that when the accident occurred, they just felt choked. At about 3:30 a.m., someone outside the shaft told them that "the ventilation system broke down," and ordered the miners to escape.

"At that time power supply underground was cut off and we had to walk," he said.

Fortunately, Xue had received regular trainings for self-rescue, which the mine conducts twice a year. After walking for about 40 to 50 minutes, he switched on his personal oxygen tank, but fainted when he was about to reach the exit.

Xue woke up at 5:30 a.m. in the hospital.

"I still felt dizzy and doctors brought me oxygen bottles. They measured my body temperature, blood pressure and recorded the electrocardiogram for me," he said, adding that he felt better by noon.

"I felt I could not breathe at around 2:30 a.m. and soon we were told to evacuate the shaft," said Li Chengsheng, 35, lying in the bed in hospital.

"Half an hour later, the smell was becoming stronger and the thick smoke in the shaft prevented me from seeing people a dozen meters away," he added.

Most of the miners suffered carbon monoxide poisoning, according to doctors in the Xishan Hospital of Coal and Electricity in Gujiao, one of the nearest hospitals to the mine.

A total of 68 hyperbaric oxygenic chambers and 41 ambulances from seven major hospitals in the province were put into the rescue operation.

More than 100 medical experts had been involved in the medical aid, said Gao Guoshun, head of Shanxi Provincial Health Department.

Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang headed for the site Sunday evening to direct the rescue operation and console the injured miners and families of the victims. Zhang also declared the formation of an investigation team to probe into the cause of the accident.

Luo Lin, head of the State Administration of Work Safety, and Zhao Tiechui, head of the State Bureau of Coal Industry, arrived at the accident Sunday afternoon.

Huang Yi, spokesman for the administration, urged all mining companies to carry out safety overhauls.