Six miners are dead and two are missing after a coal mine flooded in a county of southwest China's Guizhou Province, local government sources confirmed on Monday.

The accident occurred at 3:35 AM on Sunday when 27 people were working underground at the Bide Coal Mine in Libo County of the Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. The sources said that 16 escaped from the scene and 11 were trapped underground.

By 1:00 PM Sunday, rescuers had saved three miners from the shaft and found six bodies.

The coal mine, with an annual production capacity of 30,000 tons, is said to be a licensed business.

Rescue work is continuing and cause of the accident is being investigated.

(Xinhua News Agency November 13, 2006)