16 Chinese miners trapped in flooded mine

The accident happened at one of the licensed mines in Heilongjiang province.

Authorities in China's Heilongjiang province said on December 2 that 16 miners were trapped underground when the mine they were working in flooded on the night of December 1.

A mine collapse in China's Heilongjiang (Photo: Xinhua)

According to sources, the accident occurred at around 11:40 p.m. on December 1 (local time) at a coal mine in Qitaihe City, Heilongjiang Province. At the time the water flooded into the mine, 22 workers were working, 6 of whom were lucky to escape to the surface. Local authorities have dispatched rescue forces to the mine and pumped water out of the mine.

Local authorities also said that the accident occurred at one of the licensed mines in Heilongjiang province, which is one of the localities with the most illegal coal mines in China.

In September, there were consecutive mine fires and floods in Heilongjiang, all of which were operating illegally./.

According to VOV-M