The miner was one of two not evacuated from the Rydultowy mine in southern Poland at the time of the earthquake, with 76 of his colleagues transported to safety.

The other missing miner’s dead body was found Thursday evening.

Rescuers had “found the miner they had been looking for since the earthquake” shortly before 2pm local time, Leszek Pietraszek, head of the PGG mining group which operates the Rydultowy mine, told journalists.

After surviving underground for two days, the man was speaking and teams were in the process of preparing his evacuation, Pietraszek added.

Of the 17 other miners who were hospitalised, one was in a serious condition after sustaining head and chest injuries.

According to experts, the tremor was the biggest in Polish mining history since World War II, with an estimated magnitude of 3.1-3.4 on the Richter scale. It occurred at a depth of 1,200m.

Last year, mining accidents killed 15 in the Eastern European country, compared with 36 the year before.