After nine days of rescue work, one body was recovered from a flooded coal mine in southwest China's Guizhou Province where 16 miners were trapped, rescuers said Thursday.

The unidentified body was found at 7:20 a.m. as rescuers were clearing mud under the collapsed Xinqiao coal mine in Qinglong County, said the rescue headquarters.

As of 9 p.m. Thursday, rescuers were still attempting to clear the mine of mud, but it was becoming more difficult as gas concentrations increased at the bottom of the tunnel, rescuers said.

The whereabouts of the other 15 miners was unknown.

To guarantee sufficient power for the rescue attempt, Changliu Village in Qinglong County has experienced power cuts for days. The villagers said they supported the rescue work, said rescuers.

The flood occurred at about 4 p.m. on June 17.

Police have detained mine owner Lu Wanli and contractor Lu Yuehai, who were allegedly responsible for the accident.

The owner was accused of failing to report the flood promptly, which meant that the optimal time for rescue had passed. He also tried to cover up the number of miners underground by destroying a name list.

(Xinhua News Agency June 25, 2009)