Beijing: With the recovery of five more bodies, the death toll in the gas explosion that hit a coal mine in China's central Henan province rose to 26 today while 11 others are still trapped underground.
Rescuers continue to battle thick coal dust as they attempt to reach the 11 missing but the gas leak has spread to most of the mine making it difficult for them.
The miners are believed to have been trapped underground after a blast occurred yesterday in the mine situated in Yuzhou city of the province at 6 am local time, a spokesman for the rescue headquarters said.
A total of 276 miners were working underground when the accident happened and 239 escaped.
More than 70 rescuers are working in shifts despite a high density of gas underground, which is hindering the operation.
Meanwhile, Chinese national media has been maintaining a strange silence about the incident.
Unlike the recent Chile mine rescue, on which news services in China carried detailed reports, the gas blast was still missing from national TV evening news.
Some in China asked whether their own officials would make as much of an effort in a similar disaster, and be just as open about the progress of mine rescue efforts.