BEIJING — The death toll in a coal mine explosion in northwest China rose to 30 on Monday as more bodies were recovered, the government said.

Two miners remained missing after the blast Saturday afternoon at the Wayaobao coal mine in Shaanxi province, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

Thirty-nine miners were working underground and seven managed to escape, it said.

An investigation into the cause of the accident is underway. Local authorities have detained the owner of the mine and other managerial staff, Xinhau said without giving any details.

Thousands of workers are killed each year in China's mines, the world's most deadly. Fires, floods and explosions occur almost daily despite repeated safety crackdowns, mostly because of lax enforcement of safety rules and poor equipment.