Over 200 rescuers working to reach trapped miners in east China

JINAN -- More than 200 rescuers are racing against time to find eight people who remain missing in a flooded coal mine in East China's Shandong province, local authorities said Sunday.

The flooding occurred at around 5 pm on Saturday at Huafeng coal mine in Ningyang county in the city of Tai'an. Among the 10 people working underground, two managed to escape while eight were trapped.

Rescuers said they are pumping water out to create a clear rescue channel, which is expected to open by Monday morning.

An investigation into the cause of the flooding is underway.