BEIJING, CHINA - CHINESE police were hunting on Tuesday for the boss of an illegal iron ore mine in northern China where twenty-four workers were killed in an explosion, state press reported.

A special police force has been tasked with the search for the owner, believed to be on the run after the deadly blast on Sunday in the Hebei province mine that was disguised as a pig farm, the official Xinhua news agency said.

The mine's management had bought and stored explosives illegally for its operations, according to the agency.

It quoted government officials saying the work in the mine amounted to the theft of state-owned natural resources.

A total of 24 bodies had been recovered by the time the rescue operation was completed in the early hours of Tuesday.

A number of people were rescued, including five who were slightly injured.

They were in stable condition on Tuesday, Xinhua said.

Recent freezing weather that crippled parts of China could trigger a string of coal mining accidents as collieries ramp up operations after the Lunar New Year holiday.

China is the world's largest producer and consumer of coal, with demand rising alongside the boom in the nation's economy.

Despite government pledges to improve the safety of its mines, China's collieries remain some of the most dangerous in the world, with nearly 3,800 lives lost last year. -- AFP