8 dead in mine flooding in North China

HONGTONG, Shanxi - Eight miners trapped under a flooded coal mine in North China's Shanxi province have been found dead, rescuers said Saturday.

A worker is rescued from a flooded coal mine in Hongtong county, Linfen city, in Shanxi province, on Aug 3, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]

Bodies of the mine workers in Hongtong county have all been retrieved by Saturday morning, the rescue headquarters said. Four workers were pulled out alive Friday afternoon and receiving treatment at a local hospital.

The coal mine, which belongs to Ji'anda Coal Mining Co Ltd of the Shanxi Luhe Coal-Chemical Group, flooded around 4:17 am Wednesday.

Twenty-two out of 34 people who were working underground at the time escaped from the shaft, while the rest were trapped underground.

An investigation into the cause of the accident is under way.

Ji'anda Coal Mining Co Ltd, located near a village 30 km northwest of Hongtong county seat, has a designed annual production capacity of 1.2 million tons.