The condition of the eight unaccounted for workers remains uncertain as rescue efforts have reportedly mobilized 600 people to pump more than 2500 cubic meters of water from Ji’anda Coal Mining Company’s Shanxi province mine.
According to official state media outlet Xinhua, rescuers rushing to dig a ventilation well say an estimated 7700 cubic meters of water still needs to be pumped out.
When the incident occurred at 4am local time Wednesday, 22 of the 34 workers were able to escape the pit undergoing construction works.
An investigation into the cause of the flooding is underway.
The mine in Linfen City is controlled by Ji’anda’s parent company Shanxi Luhe Coal-Chemical Group and is designed to produce up to 1.2 million tonnes of coal per annum.
