AT LEAST five workers were killed in a roof collapse at a mine in south-west China on Sunday.

This comes as hope appeared to be fading for 47 miners trapped under tons of rubble after a mining disaster last week in northern China.

In the mine in Sichuan province, 25 miners were underground when part of the roof collapsed on Sunday. The provincial Department of Emergency Management said five were killed, three were badly injured and the others escaped. 

Reports said that the mine did not produce coal, but gave no details.

Meanwhile, rescue efforts were continuing at the open-pit mine in the Inner Mongolian region’s Alxa League. The death toll remains six with six others pulled from the rubble alive. 

The cause for the collapse of a mine wall six days ago is under investigation and an unknown number of people have been detained.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for an “all-out” search-and-rescue effort and local authorities have ordered inspections and safety improvements at the other mines in Inner Mongolia that produce much of the coal, metals and rare earths.

Hours after the initial cave-in, another landslide halted rescue efforts for several hours during the crucial period for rescuing survivors.