4 remain trapped in flooded mine 24 hours after accident

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-02-28 22:13

WUHAN - Rescuers were still unable to find four miners who have been trapped in a flooded coal mine in central China's Hubei Province for more than 24 hours as of 6:00 pm Saturday.

The accident happened about 11:30 a.m. Friday in Xiaojiacun Coal Mine, Xianning City, when 3,000 cubic meters of rainwater and silt from a nearby well flooded into the mine.

A total of 21 miners were underground when the accident happened, of whom 17 were saved.

Huang Jiaxun, deputy director of the Hubei Provincial Coal Mine Safety Bureau, said hundreds of rescuers have been pumping water out of the mine for 20 hours, but it was still flooded.

The surrounding area was soaked rain for 12 days and was still receiving drizzle on Saturday, which made rescue work extremely difficult.

The Xiaojiacun mine is a newly-built mine and belongs to the foreign-owned Xianning Puqi Mining Co. Ltd. The name of the foreign investor is still unknown.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.