22 trapped in three coal mine accidents in China

BEIJING, September 23 (Xinhua) -- Three separate coal mine accidents over the weekend left 22 miners trapped in northeast and east China, according to local government sources.

Eleven people were trapped after a fire broke out Saturday morning in a coal mine in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.The accident that occurred at the Longshan coal mine in Youyi County of Shuangyashan City was previously reported to have happened on Sunday as a result of the mine owner's attempt to cover up, the rescue headquarters said.

Local people reported the accident to the authorities a day later.An initial investigation showed that a total of 13 people were working underground. Two were lifted out after the accident.

The government said the county's coal management bureau had ordered the mine to suspend production on September 3, after its license expired a day earlier.

Illegal production was being blamed for the accident, the government said.

The underground fire was quenched Sunday night, rescuers said.

Saturday saw flooding at another coal mine in Jidong County, also in Heilongjiang Province, which trapped six miners.Five other miners were trapped after a ceiling collapse at a coal mine in east China's Shandong Province on Sunday.

The accident occurred at about 9:50 a.m. at a colliery of the Dongtai Mining Company in Zibo City.Rescue efforts are under way at the three mines.