Seven bodies of the trapped miners have been lifted from the pit while the remaining three also have been confirmed dead, state run Xinhua news agency reported.
The mine, located in Chengcheng County of Shaanxi province, caught fire around 1 pm yesterday when 27 workers were working underground to repair air shaft facilities, a statement from the county's publicity department said.
Zhong Hongliang, a rescuer monitoring harmful gas at the head of the pit, said mist containing carbon monoxide (CO) keeps rising from the pit, which can lead to coma.
Nine of the rescued workers were being treated at a local hospital while the other seven escaped unhurt, state run Xinhua news agency reported today.
Initial investigation showed that the accident was caused by a fire broke out at a cable when miners doing some repair works in the pit.