13 miners trapped in China colliery flood

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-03-22 22:09

CHANGNING -- An estimated 13 miners were still trapped one day after a colliery flood in central China's Hunan Province, rescuers said Sunday.

Rescuers prepare pipes to draw water from a flooded coal mine in Sanjiaotang township of Changning, a city in central China's Hunan province, March 21, 2009. [Xinhua]

The flood occurred at around 5 p.m. Saturday in a private mine in Sanjiaotang Township, Changning City. The mine managers fled the scene without reporting the accident to local authorities, police said.

The 13 miners were still missing as of 7 p.m. Sunday. Rescuers were pumping water out of the mine around the clock, said Hu Zewen, head of Changning Coal Industry Bureau.

The mine is still in the process of merger with another mine and was closed down by local work safety administration on March 7. "No signs of production was found in a check on March 16," said Li Yuechu, an information official of Changning city. "We did not expect the mine would secretly start production only days after the check."

Peng Qingchun and Liao Lunsheng, shareholders of the mine, were detained.

Rescue operation is underway.

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