There were 19 workers underground on Wednesday when the privately owned Xiren Coal Mine in Jilin province's Tonghua city was flooded, official news agency Xinhua reported.

 

Deputy director of the Jilin Provincial Coal Mining Bureau Yuan Yuqing was quoted as saying rescuers were hopeful of recovering the miners because they were still able to hear their cries for help.

 

Also on Wednesday, a gas leak at a mine in north China's Shanxi province killed at least one person, after more than 40 managed to escape.

 

In the first eight months of this year, 2900 Chinese mine workers were reported killed in 1824 accidents, Xinhua said.