Rescuers said Monday 29 miners trapped in a flooded coal mine in southwest China's Sichuan Province are all alive.

Rescuers are pumping water from the flooded pit and the water level has fallen 73cm by 9:30 AM local time, the emergency rescue headquarter said.

The trapped are likely to come out of the mine any time, it said.

The accident happened at 11:00 AM Sunday when 35 miners were working underground. Thirteen of them rushed out while the other 22 were left behind.

After the accident, seven rescuers, led by a vice mine manager, descended to free the miners but were trapped underground, too.

Previously it was reported that 28 people,including six rescuers, were trapped.

(Xinhua News Agency November 22, 2010)