All five miners trapped in a collapsed coal mine in southwestern Beijing have been confirmed dead, sources from the local government said on Monday.

According to the Beijing Municipal Work Safety Bureau, rescuers found the first trapped miner around 8:40 PM on Friday and the miner was proclaimed dead after further medical checkups. Remains of other four miners were found from 4:55 PM to 11:30 PM on Sunday.

The No. 6 coal mine in Lianhua'an Village of Fangshan District, about 120 km from downtown Beijing, collapsed around 3 AM Thursday, burying all the five workers who were repairing a section of the shaft.

The rescue operation had proven difficult as the rock strata suffers severe efflorescence and easily become bloated when there is water, and the blocked underground shaft is full of mud, stones, water and wood spiles, which is not easy to clear away.

The rescuers turned to use their bare hands to remove debris from blocked shaft which is narrowly shaped, as no large equipments could be used in the rescue operation.

Cause of the coal mine collapse is being investigated, and local government has decided to carry out an inspection over coal mines in Fangshan and Mentougou districts and those operated by Jingmei (Beijing Coal) Group.

(Xinhua News Agency May 23, 2006)