The death toll has risen to nine in a gas burning accident that occurred April 24 in a coal mine in Gaoping City of Shanxi Province, north China, as four more bodies were recovered Saturday, said an official in charge of workplace safety supervision.

The gas burning happened in the Duzhai Coal Mine of Yechuan Town at about 6:00 PM on April 24, when 57 miners were working underground. 42 of them escaped, nine died and six others were injured, Guo Jianzhong, head of the Gaoping City Workplace Safety Administration, cited the latest investigation report as saying.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2005)