7 miners trapped in flooded mine for 11 days confirmed dead

Chinese authorities Monday confirmed seven miners trapped in a flooded coal mine in southwest Guizhou province 11 days ago have died. The official Xinhua News Agency said rescue work, which had been going on since the Oct. 11 flooding in the Dachong coal mine in the province's Changtian town, ended Sunday evening. There were 33 miners working underground when the mine flooded but 26 of them managed to escape, leaving the other seven trapped. Xinhua said several officials of the mine and others have either been dismissed or suspended. They included the head of the Communist Party in the town and the chief of the county's work safety supervision bureau. Other details about the incident were not available, but the report said authorities had ordered an investigation.