The fire, at one of China's major coal production bases in the northern province of Hebei, broke out just before midday (0400 GMT) on Monday, according to the Xinhua news agency.
Sixty-three miners were working in the affected area of the Fengfeng Coal Fields when the fire broke out, with 52 rescued so far, Xinhua said, citing local rescue officials.
Teams of rescuers were struggling to reach the miner who remained trapped after the fire, which was blamed on a faulty electric cable, according to Xinhua.
They reported that the fire has been put out, but the level of carbon monoxide in the tunnel was still high.
The mine's owners and managers had been detained and their assets had been frozen, the Xinhua report said.
Labor rights groups say the real number of mining deaths could be as high as 20,000 each year, with the official tally lower because local government officials and mine owners often cover up accidents.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2006