Rescuers had found 23 bodies of the 29 miners trapped at a coal mine in the southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region after a flood, bringing the death toll to 30.

The flood occurred at 1:15 p.m. on July 21 at the Nadu coal mine in Bose City, trapping 57 miners. A total of 21 miners escaped or were rescued.

Rescuers said the 23 bodies were buried in cinders and silt when they were found.

Despite the high gas density in the pit, rescuers were still searching for the six trapped miners.

The mine has an estimated reserve of 2.98 million tonnes of coal and can produce 190,000 tonnes annually. It is fully certified.

(Xinhua News Agency August 3, 2008)