Rescue operations have ended at the Yangmeishan coal mine in Lianyuan city, Hunan province, following a gas outburst that killed seven workers.

The bodies of all seven missing miners were recovered by 5 p.m. on August 27, according to a statement from the local rescue headquarters. One injured miner is recovering well in hospital.

The gas outburst occurred in the early hours of August 14, leaving seven miners missing. Local authorities deployed professional rescue teams that worked around the clock on underground search and recovery operations.

Police have taken criminal coercive measures against six people, including the mine's actual controller and safety manager. Compensation, family assistance, investigation and accountability procedures are underway, while the local government has launched a broader safety inspection campaign across mines in the area.

The Yangmeishan mine has an approved annual capacity of 300,000 tonnes and holds a third-level work safety standardization rating, with a C-class safety classification, according to the Hunan Emergency Management Department.

Hunan province currently has 64 operating coal mines with a combined capacity of about 13 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa), Sxcoal data shows. Of these, seven are classified as high-gas mines and 22 as coal and gas outburst mines, together accounting for 45.3% of the total mine count and 42.3% of capacity.