Heavy rain in parts of China is hampering efforts to rescue 69 miners trapped in a flooded colliery, state media reported today.
Storms have triggered landslides on the mountain road leading to the pit in the central province of Henan, and two trucks carrying relief supplies were stranded on the road for several hours, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
Rescuers are attempting to pump water out of the Zhijian mine.
Heavy rain flooded into a pit shaft yesterday morning, trapping the miners underground.
The condition of those caught inside is unknown, the report said. Rescuers have been told to drill holes from the surface to the shaft where the miners are trapped to supply them with more oxygen.
More than 4,700 people died in mining accidents in China last year, making the country's mine safety record the worst in the world.
The government estimates that nearly 700 people have died in floods, landslides and other accidents caused by the torrential rains which have hit parts of China in recent weeks.
Agencies