Thirty-six miners remained trapped in the Nadu Mine in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, where flooding occurred on Monday afternoon, rescuers said on Tuesday morning.

A rescue team led by Guo Shengkun, secretary of the Guangxi regional Communist Party committee, said 56 miners were underground when the mine flooded at 3:30 PM on Monday. Seven miners managed to escape and rescuers extricated another 13 overnight.

However, there is some difference in official accounts of the situation.

The website of the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS) said there were 99 miners at work when the flood began at 3:15 PM and 50 escaped, 13 were rescued and 36 were trapped.

The 13 rescued miners were sent to the Renmin Hospital in the Dongtian County seat, the nearest suitable medical facility. Two who were slightly injured were discharged, according to hospital sources.

Rescuers said they had made contacts with 12 of the trapped miners, who were in a "relatively safe working face" underground.

"They were trapped about 2,000 meters from the entrance. The lack of oxygen in the narrow mining tunnel would make it difficult for the exhausted miners to get out by themselves," a rescuer said. Rescue workers have been trying to send food and water down to the trapped miners.

The other 24 workers haven't been located yet.

Ma Biao, Guangxi's regional government chairman, and Peng Jianxun, the State Administration of Coal Mine Safety deputy director, were overseeing the rescue operation in the cordoned-off area. About 800 people are taking part in the rescue effort, including pumping out water from the mine.

SAWS chief Wang Jun, who rushed to the site early on Tuesday, pledged all-out efforts to save those trapped.

Wang demanded more professional rescuers be sent over from neighboring provinces such as Guizhou, and a thorough safety inspection over all coal mines in Guangxi be carried out. Mines with safety deficiencies should be closed immediately for improvement, Wang said.

Huang Zhao, chief engineer of the mine, said the ventilation, drainage and lift facilities complied with regulations.

The mine has estimated reserves of 2.98 million tonnes of coal and can produce 190,000 tons annually. It is owned by the Youjiang Mining Bureau in Baise, which began mining in 2003. It is fully certified.

(Xinhua News Agency July 22, 2008)