Thirty-six people were trapped underground Sunday in a flooded coal mine in southwest China's Guizhou Province, local authorities said.

 

The accident occurred at around 12:30 PM Sunday when 80 miners were working underground at the Tianchi Colliery, located in Xujiaba Town, Sinan County. Forty-four workers were rescued but the other 36 remain missing.

 

No deaths or injuries have been reported.

 

The colliery is a township-owned mine with an annual production capacity of 30,000 tons. Its safety rating for 2004 is C on the four-level system. A rating of D means the mine is not qualified to operate.

 

Sixteen men died in an explosion earlier this month at a township-owned coal mine in Liupanshui City, Guizhou.

 

(China.org.cn, Xinhua News Agency December 13, 2004)