Rescuers continue searching for 25 workers who became trapped following a gas explosion in a coal mine in eastern China.
Officials quoted by the official Xinhua news agency said two bodies were pulled early Wednesday from deep within the partially collapsed mine.
Authorities still do not know what led to the Tuesday explosion at the Dongfang Coal Mine, which is located in eastern Anhui province.
A local emergency official said the privately owned mine was operating against orders to stop work during the flood season.
"Local government issued an instruction, urging all the coal mines to suspend production due to the flood season and the order has not been lifted," said the official.
Mining accidents in China claim hundreds of lives every year, though safety standards have been gradually improving.
Xinhua reported on Monday that chances of finding 13 workers missing in a flooded mine last week in northeast China were slim. Three bodies have been found.
