Chinese media reported that more than 600 rescue workers pumped water and drilled holes from the surface to help rescue the trapped miners at the Datong Coal Mine Group-owned colliery.

An estimated 1.6 million gallons (6.05 million litres) of water was pumped out by Tuesday afternoon.

There were 247 miners underground when water from a mined out area flooded the colliery on Sunday evening, with 223 safely evacuating afterwards.

The mine’s annual production capacity is 900,000 tonnes per annum.