The death toll from a north China coal mine explosion rose to 14 on Tuesday with the recovery of nine more bodies.

The accident occurred at about 3:40 AM on Monday in an illegal mine at Liujiacun Village, of Yuxian County, Yangquan City, said a spokesman with the Shanxi Provincial Coal Mine Safety Administration.

Four miners were rescued on Monday and rescuers found five bodies, according to previous reports.

The spokesman had earlier said the number of miners working underground at the time of the blast was 19, a figure he later corrected to 18.

The investigation into the cause of the blast is continuing.

(Xinhua News Agency May 2, 2007)