A miner who was buried underground for 17 days following a colliery flood in northeast China was found alive on Saturday, state media said.

The survivor was in a stable condition after receiving treatment in a local hospital, the Xinhua news agency said, quoting rescuers.

Twenty-eight miners were working underground at the Junyuan No. 2 Coal Mine in Hegang city, Heilongjiang Province, when it flooded on May 2.

Ten escaped, ten others were confirmed dead and five have now been rescued.

Authorities are still searching for three more missing, the report said.

Nearly 2,000 miners were killed last year in mines in China, according to official figures.

China's mines are known for being among the world's most deadly due to lax regulation, corruption and inefficiency, and accidents are common as safety is often neglected by bosses seeking quick profits.

Rapid economic growth has caused China's demand for energy, including coal, to surge. The world's second-biggest economy is the top global consumer of coal.

20 dead in tunnel blast in China: state media
Beijing (AFP) May 19, 2012 - Twenty people were killed in an explosion inside an under-construction expressway tunnel in central China's Hunan province on Saturday, state media said.

The blast happened in Zhuzhou city when a vehicle carrying explosives was unloading in the tunnel, the Xinhua news agency said, citing local authorities but providing few more details.

Four workers had been pulled out of the tunnel, including one in a critical condition, the report said.

China's roads are notoriously dangerous, with traffic laws and safety widely flouted. Bus operators often seek to cram as many people as they can into their vehicles to maximise profits and drivers hurtle down highways.

Last year alone, more than 62,000 people died in traffic accidents, state media said, citing police figures.