16 trapped in flooded China coal mine: state media

Sixteen miners were trapped in a colliery in northeastern China that flooded on Saturday in the latest accident to hit the country's deadly coal industry, state media reported.

Sixteen miners were trapped in a colliery in northeastern China that flooded on Saturday in the latest accident to hit the country's deadly coal industry, state media reported.

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The accident occurred early Saturday at a mine in the city of Jixi in Heilongjiang province, it said.

Twenty-two miners had been in the colliery at the time, with six managing to escape.

Rescue efforts were under way, it said.

Official figures showed that more than 3,200 workers died in China's notoriously dangerous coal mines last year, but independent observers say the actual figure could be higher, as many accidents are covered up.