One miner remained missing after the incident Friday morning at the Yuanlin coal mine in Inner Mongolia, the government said in a statement.
The cave-in initially trapped 12 workers, but seven were rescued over two days.
The deaths came after the state-run Xinhua news agency reported Saturday that rescuers had made contact with the five trapped miners and were giving them food and water through a lifeline drilled by rescue workers.
The accident is the latest in an industry plagued by corruption and safety hazards.
Earlier this month, at least 34 workers were killed after a blast at a mine in the southwestern province of Yunnan, state press reported.
China`s rapid economic growth has brought rising demand for power. It relies on coal for 70 percent of its energy needs, making it the world`s largest consumer of the fossil fuel.
Last year, 2,433 people died in coal mining accidents in the country, according to official statistics -- a rate of more than six workers per day.
Labour rights groups, however, say the actual death toll is likely to be much higher, partly due to under-reporting of accidents as mine bosses seek to limit their economic losses and avoid punishment.
(SYS/H-AK)
Editor: Suryanto
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