The death toll in the flooded Wangjialing Coal Mine in north China's Shanxi Province rose to seven Wednesday, as rescuers tried to locate the remaining 31 trapped miners, the rescue headquarters said.

A spokesman with the headquarters said rescuers were inching their way towards the last two work platforms underground as pumps slowly lowered the water level in the shafts.

One of the submerged stretches leading to the two platforms was estimated at 700 meters long and the other at 350 meters, he said.

On Monday, 115 miners were pulled out of the mine alive after being trapped for more than a week.

(Xinhua News Agency April 7, 2010)