Six detained after illegal mine floods, trapping 21

Police have detained six people involved in the operation of an illegal coal mine that has flooded in Xiaoyi, Shanxi province.

The mine in Duxigou village flooded at about 11 pm on Wednesday, trapping 21 people underground, the city government said in a statement issued on Thursday. Four others escaped to safety when the accident occurred, it said.

The city government set up an emergency rescue headquarters after the accident and has carried out rescue work together with the local mine rescue team and firefighters. The first pump has begun to drain water and the water level has begun to drop, but no contact had been made with the trapped workers by Thursday afternoon.

The police have launched an investigation and are tracking down other people involved in the illegal mining. According to the statement, two suspects are on the run.

Emergency Management Minister Huang Ming went to the ministry's command center to direct rescue work after the accident, asking local authorities to investigate the scene, verify the number of people trapped, organize a professional rescue force and strictly prevent secondary accidents.

He also required local authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation to root out risks and safety hazards and crack down on illegal mining to prevent similar accidents.

The ministry sent a working group led by vice-minister Huang Yuzhi, who is also director of the National Mine Safety Administration, to Duxigou.