Water gushes into coalmine, 18 miners feared killed

Eighteen miners were feared killed following sudden flooding of a coalmine in Karimnagar district of Andhra Pradesh, a senior police official said.

Eighteen miners were feared killed following sudden flooding of a coalmine in Karimnagar district of Andhra Pradesh on Monday, a senior police official said.

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The miners were trapped as water suddenly gushed from a coal seam at a Godavarikhani coalfield, some 70 kms from Karimnagar town, District Superintendent of Police R S Praveen Kumar told PTI by telephone.

He said worst was feared as pumping of water from the mine would take at least 10 hours and there was no way to know the fate of the trapped miners immediately.

"Rescue operations, however, are on," the SP said.