All 11 of the miners who were trapped in an April 13 mine flood in north China's Shanxi province have been confirmed dead, local rescuers said Monday.
Rescuers retrieved the last body from the flooded Shanfu Coal Mine in the city of Changzhi at 7:15 p.m. Monday.
Although the mine's owner initially claimed that only nine miners were trapped, authorities later found that 11 miners were working in the mine when the flood occurred.
Investigators found that the mine's production license was expired at the time of the flood.
Twenty-one people, including the mine's owner and manager, have been taken into police custody in relation to the incident. Police have also frozen the mine's assets.
Authorities in Changzhi have begun investigating 43 coal mines for safety violations, stopping production at two mines due to safety risks.