In this photo released by China’s Xinhua News Agency, rescuers work at a coal mine in Duxigou Village of Xixinzhuang Township in Xiaoyi City, in northern China’s Shanxi Province/AP.
Officials said rescue workers were trying to reach 21 people trapped in floods caused by illegal coal mining in northern China on Thursday.
The accident happened around 11 p.m. on Wednesday in the city of Xiaoyi in Shanxi province, a major coal-producing region southwest of Beijing.
The Xiaoei government said in an update on social media that water was being extracted from the mine and the water level was falling.
The report said that the police have detained six persons and search is on for others in connection with the incident.
China has cracked down on illegal mining in recent years, sharply reducing the high death rate, but this year a coal shortage has driven up prices, leading to a surge in mining.
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