Seven miners were found dead and 17 remained trapped underground a flooded coal mine in north China, state media reported late Monday, according to dpa. The bodies were retrieved about 7 pm Monday as rescuers entered a shaft of the Jiangjiawan mine in Datong, the Xinhua news agency reported, citing a spokesman for the rescue headquarters. More than 600 rescuers were working around the clock to reach the trapped miners, pumping more than 1,500 cubic meters of water out of holes drilled into the ground, Xinhua said. It will take about two days to pump all the flood water out, rescuers reportedly told the national television microblog. The rescue team was sending relief goods down to the 17 trapped miners, according to the China Central Television news Weibo. "Four pumps are working, and the water level has dropped by 70 centimetres," a rescuer told Xinhua. When the accident occurred about 6:50 pm Sunday at the Datong Coal Mine Group colliery, 223 out of 247 miners safely fled the flooding. An initial investigation suggested the flooding was caused by water accumulated in a previously mined area. Datong Coal Mine Group ordered all its small mines to suspend production for safety checks, Xinhua said. Many of the small mines were previously private operations that were later merged with the local mining giant. China has improved its mine safety record in recent years through the closure of thousands of small operations. Despite improved standards, the industry is regarded as one of the most dangerous in the world, with periodic reports of flooding, explosions and fires.
