The bodies of 14 miners killed this past weekend in a coal mine explosion in northeast China's Liaoning Province were retrieved on Monday afternoon, while a search for two missing miners continued, a local work safety official said.

All bodies had been retrieved from the No. 3 Coal Mine of Shaguotun Village, Huludao City by 3 p.m. on Monday, said the official with the Huludao City Coal Mine Safety Administration.

A gas blast occurred at 10:15 a.m. on Saturday when 39 miners were at work. Twenty-one miners escaped unharmed, while two were injured. They were sent to a hospital, where they were reported to be out of danger.

The two missing miners are believed to be buried amid debris and their chances of survival are slim, rescuers said.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

(Xinhua News Agency April 15, 2008)