Beijing, Jan 25 (IANS): A day after 11 trapped workers were rescued from a gold mine in China's Shandong province, authorities on Monday retrieved the bodies of the 10 other miners, while one was still reported to be missing.

A total of 22 miners were trapped underground following a blast at the mine in Qixia on January 10, reports Xinhua news agency.

"We will not stop searching for the missing miner," said Chen Fei, mayor of Yantai, adding that the rescue work is extremely difficult as the underground water is very deep.

According to Chen, the 11 rescued miners are receiving proper medical treatment, and DNA tests are being conducted to confirm the identities of the deceased.

The investigation into the cause of the accident is still underway.

Mining accidents are not uncommon in China, where the industry safety regulations can be poorly enforced, according to a BBC report.

In December 2020, 23 miners died after a carbon monoxide leak at a coal mine.

In September, 16 workers were killed at another mine on the outskirts of Chongqing, also due to carbon monoxide.

In December 2019, an explosion at a coal mine in Guizhou province, south-west China, killed at least 14 people.