One miner remained missing after the incident Friday morning at the Yuanlin coal mine in Inner Mongolia, the government said in a statement.

The cave-in initially trapped 12 workers, but seven were rescued over two days.

The deaths came after the state-run Xinhua news agency reported Saturday that rescuers had made contact with the five trapped miners and were giving them food and water through a lifeline drilled by rescue workers.

The accident is the latest in an industry plagued by corruption and safety hazards.

Earlier this month, at least 34 workers were killed after a blast at a mine in the south-western province of Yunnan, state press reported.

China's rapid economic growth has brought rising demand for power. It relies on coal for 70% of its energy needs, making it the world's largest consumer of the fossil fuel.

Last year, 2 433 people died in coal mining accidents in the country, according to official statistics – a rate of more than six workers per day.

Labour rights groups, however, say the actual death toll is likely to be much higher, partly due to under-reporting of accidents as mine bosses seek to limit their economic losses and avoid punishment.