The seven miners who were trapped in a flooded coal mine in east China's Jiangxi Province for five days are confirmed dead, local government sources said on Thursday.

All of the seven miners were from Sichuan Province of southwestern China.

The flooding occurred at around 10 AM Saturday in an illegal coal mine located in Yongshan Township, Leping City, while nine miners were working. By 9 PM on Saturday, only two miners had been rescued.

Upon learning of the incident, the provincial bureau of coal mine safety immediately dispatched a team of professionals to the site to provide guidance to the rescue work. Nearly 100 people were engaged in the rescue operation, using four pumps to drain the water.

An investigation into the cause of the accident is still underway.

(Xinhua News Agency June 23, 2005)