Three of the four miners saved Thursday from a flooded coal mine in Baishui County, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, died later in hospital.
Rescue teams are still searching for the remaining three trapped miners.
Zhang Rungui, the only one of the four miners to survive, was in stable condition, but cannot be exposed to light after being trapped underground for 70 hours.
The flood occurred around 10 a.m. Monday in the township-run Fengjiahe Coal Mine in Baishui County. The mine was being worked by 22 miners when the accident took place, but 15 escaped unharmed.