Chinese search teams have rescued two men who had been trapped underground in a coal mine for more than a week.

Crews continued their digging Sunday in search of another 14 miners who have been trapped since July 2, when heavy rains caused a collapse at the mine in southern Guangxi province.

The rescued men were taken early Sunday to a hospital, where they were reported to be weak but in stable condition. The China Daily newspaper quoted one of the men saying they survived by drinking dirty water that was dripping into the shaft.

Search teams also recovered four bodies, bringing the confirmed death toll in the accident to eight. China Daily said government regulators accused the mine operators of not doing enough to prevent flooding and of failing to address safety concerns.

The newspaper also said three men died Sunday during rescue operations at another mine in Shandong province. A total of 28 miners were trapped when a fire broke out in that mine on Wednesday.

China has one of the world's worst records for fatal mining accidents.