At least 152 people were trapped after a coal mine under construction in north China's Shanxi province was flooded on Sunday, the Xinhua official news agency reported, citing local officials.
A total of 261 workers were in the pit of the Wangjialing Coal Mine when underground water sprang up at about Sunday afternoon, Xinhua said referring to the provincial work safety supervision administration.
About 109 workers managed to escape unharmed while152 others remained trapped in the shaft, the news agency said.
The mine, affiliated to the state-owned Huajin Coking Coal Co. Ltd., is a key project approved by the provincial government, Xinhua said.
The coal industry in energy-hungry China is one of the most dangerous in the world due to poor work safety standards and intensive work schedule.
Some 7,000 lives are lost annually in accidents at coal mines in the country, and China has been trying to close small mines or merge them into larger state-owned companies to avoid frequent tragedies.
MOSCOW, March 28 (RIA Novosti)
