The death toll from a coal mine gas outburst in southwest China's Sichuan Province rose to 13 with five still missing as a new body was found on Saturday, rescuers said.

The incident occurred at 2:52 a.m. Friday in a mine in Jiuqing Town, Xingwen County. The Sichuan Provincial Work Safety Administration said 44 miners were underground at the time.

Only 26 emerged safely from the pit after the accident.

So far relatives of 13 dead miners have signed contracts with the mine and got compensation of 500,000 yuan (73,099 U.S. dollars) each.

More than 100 rescuers are still searching at the site Saturday evening. They have dug out more than 200 tons of floated coal, accounting for one fifth of the predicted amount.

The mine, belonging to the Jinhe Coal Mining Co., Ltd., has an annual production capacity of 90,000 tons.

Thirteen people were trapped after a coal mine blast in north China's Hebei Province on Friday morning. On Thursday, a mine explosion in northeastern Liaoning Province killed 27 people and injured six.

(Xinhua News Agency September 7, 2008)