Fifty miners were trapped underground after a fire engulfed a gold mine in north-eastern China, dpa reported according to state media.
A further 279 workers had been rescued at the Luoshan mine in Shandong Province, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported, citing an unnamed spokesperson with the rescue headquarters.
Rescuers had identified the location of 47 of the trapped workers, the report said, and more than 100 people were assisting with the search.
An initial investigation showed that an underground cable may have been responsible for the fire, which broke out Friday evening.
China's mines are notoriously dangerous, with poor safety standards leading to frequent accidents.