State media reported that 53 people died in a partial collapse of a coal mine in Inner Mongolia, China, earlier this year.

The open-pit mine in the remote Alxa League saw a huge slope cave in, trapping people and vehicles underneath in February.

Six survivors and six bodies were rescued at first, but no more updates were given for months.

Yesterday, state broadcaster CCTV said the regional emergency bureau confirmed that 47 missing people “had no signs of life”.

“The search and rescue work has ended,” CCTV said. “The massive collapse on February 22… killed 53 people”.

Chinese President Xi Jinping had ordered authorities to “do everything possible to find and save the missing people… and protect people’s lives and property as well as social stability”.

Hundreds of personnel and over 100 pieces of equipment were used for the rescue operation, local government statements said.

Alxa League is a thinly populated area that relies mostly on mining and other extractive industries.

China’s mine safety has improved over the years, as has media coverage of major accidents. But accidents still happen often in an industry where safety rules are sometimes ignored, especially at the most basic sites.