Eleven miners have been trapped after the roof of the shaft of a private iron- and gold-ore pit collapsed in Chengde, a popular summer resort in north China's Hebei Province.

The accident actually took place at about 6:00 p.m. on Monday at Xiaojun Mining Pit inside Gushanzi township, Xinglong County, blocking the shaft and trapping the miners. However, the accident was not reported to local authorities in Chengde City until early on Thursday, said sources from the Hebei Provincial Bureau of Work Safety.

The mine may have been an illegal operation, according to provincial bureau of work safety.

No other details are available.

The Hebei Provincial Bureau of Work Safety on Thursday sent a special team to the site to direct the rescue operation.

(Xinhua News Agency, December 6, 2007)