BEIJING, July 22 (RIA Novosti) - At least six of the 36 miners trapped in a coal mine in southern China have been confirmed dead, the state news agency Xinhua said on Tuesday.
Fifty six miners were in the Nadu mine in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region when it was flooded at 3:30 p.m. local time (09:30 GMT) on Monday. Seven of the men managed to escape almost immediately, and another 13 were rescued in an overnight operation.
The rescue team working at the scene has established contact with 12 of the trapped miners, and has sent drinking water and food to them. The rescue operation is continuing.
The Chinese coal mining industry is the world's most dangerous, with up to 7,000 miners killed every year. Earlier this month, at least 10 workers died when a coal mine was flooded in the northern Shanxi province.
