WEB DESK
China’s Xinjiang region is facing underground flooding in the Fengyuan coal mine in Hutubi County. The flood which has trapped 21 miners occurred on Saturday evening, state media reported.
It added eight of the 29 miners working at the location had already been rescued.
Staff were carrying out upgrading works at the site when disaster struck.
Rescuers have been trying to pump water out of the flooded shaft while simultaneously pumping air into the mine.
Coal mines in China are among the world’s most dangerous, with explosions and gas leaks a regular occurrence.
Mining accidents in eastern Shandong province in January and the southwest city of Chongqing in December killed more than 30 miners.