Death toll in NE China colliery flooding rises to 8

Two more bodies were retrieved 10 days after a coal mine flooded in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, bringing the death toll to eight, rescuers said Tuesday.

Rescuers recovered the two bodies and lifted them out of shaft at around 1:10 p.m. Tuesday, a spokesman with the accident's rescue headquarters said.

Rescue efforts to find two other missing people are ongoing, said the spokesman.

The accident happened at around 11:40 p.m. on Dec. 1 when 22 miners were working underground at Furuixiang Coal Mine in Qitaihe City.

Twelve of them managed to escape or were later rescued, including four who were found alive five days after the accident.

An investigation into the accident is underway.