Rescue scene of the coal mine flooding accident in Xiaoyi city, North China's Shanxi Province Photo: Screenshot from Sina Weibo

Eight suspects related to a coal mine flooding accident in North China's Shanxi Province, including the owner of the mine, have been arrested by the local police as of Sunday. The accident was said to be caused by illegal mining with the investigation underway.

Twenty people have been rescued from a flooded coal mine in Xiaoyi, North China's Shanxi Province, on Friday after a 45-hour full-effort rescue. Two out of the total 22 trapped in the mine died.

Both the Party chief and the mayor of Xiaoyi were sacked on Friday.

News reports said rescuers delivered clothing and food into the flooded well on Friday morning, indicating the people inside were still alive. 

According to media reports, the flood accident happened in the coal mine in a village in Xiaoyi around 11 pm on Wednesday. It was caused by illegal coal mining. The entrance to the mine well had only some steel pipes to support it. 

The entrance was so simple and crude that it was hard to tell it was the entrance to a coal mine. The soil around the well entrance was so loose that it was collapsing as well. 

At present, the drainage work is being conducted in an orderly manner and the water level has begun to drop. 

However, since the coal mining behavior was illegal, there was no specific mark for the terrain situations in the mine, which has brought great difficulties to the rescue work. 

The low temperatures in the area also brought difficulties and uncertainties to the rescue work. 

Global Times