<p><br /> The death toll at a mine in China's Henan province has risen to 26 as rescue teams try to free the 11 still trapped inside the shaft.<br /> </p><p><br /> Family members waited outside the compound for news of their loved ones as police and mine officials gathered at the Pingyu Coal and Electric Co in Yuzhou City.<br /> </p><p><br /> Rescue workers in orange suits made their way down the shaft in an attempt to reach those still trapped alive after an explosion inside the mine on Saturday.<br /> </p><p><br /> Authorities said an over-concentration of underground gas caused the deadly explosion.<br /> </p><p><br /> The underground gas concentration in the mine reached 40 per cent, over 40 times the normal level, according to state media.<br /> </p><p><br /> Officials are quoted as saying that more than 2,500 tonnes of coal dust smothered the pit due to the explosion making it difficult for rescuers to go in.<br /> </p><p><br /> 239 workers have already managed to escape.<br /> </p><p><br /> China's mines are the deadliest in the world, due to lax safety standards and a rush to feed demand from a robust economy. More than 2,600 people died in coal mine accidents in 2009 alone.<br /> </p><p><br /> Another explosion at the same mine two years ago killed 23 people.<br /> </p>
