Authorities earlier announced that 14 workers were buried under rock presumed to weigh at least 20-30 tons, but it was later confirmed that eight of them had managed to escape and avoid the accident.

Of the six buried, two workers, including a 64-year-old surnamed Jin, were found dead. Rescue authorities later discovered the body of a 69-year-old surnamed Shim, who had been missing.

The six workers had made their way about 5 kilometers into the mine to carry out blasting work when the accident occurred. The three wounded have been sent to nearby hospitals for treatment, the authorities said.

(Yonhap)