One miner has been confirmed dead following a colliery flood that trapped eight in northeast China's Liaoning Province Tuesday, a local official said Wednesday.

Jian Changfu, a 40-year-old migrant from southwest China's Sichuan Province, was seriously injured when the privately-run Dahenan Colliery was flooded at 10:50 AM Tuesday, said Shang Chunjie, head of coal administration in Dengta, a city about 50 kilometers south of Liaoning's provincial capital Shenyang.

The ill-fated coal mine is located in Huazi Township of Dengta.

"Jian was found by rescuers and sent to Dengta Central Hospital Tuesday afternoon. He died that night," Shang said in an interview.

By midday Wednesday, another miner was still missing, and more than 40 rescuers were searching for him. Shang said the rescue work could be lengthy as there was still a risk of further collapse.

The other six surviving miners were injured in the accident, and one of them is still on the hospital's critical list, according to Shang.

Surging demand for winter coal has spurred production but also caused a string of deadly accidents.

In one of the most recent tragedies, a colliery flood killed six miners and left two missing in southwestern Guizhou Province on Sunday.

In north China's coal-rich Shanxi Province, two recent colliery accidents have killed at least 66 people.

(Xinhua News Agency November 15, 2006)