The No. 2 mine is owned by a drilling company of the Xinjiang Hami Coal Corp. according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

The three missing miners had only a "slight" chance of survival, Xinhua said, citing Tian Guangxiong, an official with the Xinjiang Coal Mine Security Supervision Bureau.

Some 49 miners were working in the mine on Sunday when the flooding occurred. About 25 miners managed to escape and another 15 were rescued on Monday, Xinhua said.