Fifteen of the 24 trapped miners in the flooding accident in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Sunday morning have been rescued, but the remaining nine remain missing, local authorities said early Monday.

A rescuer carried one miner to the surface on his back, but the other 14 managed to walk out themselves. Some of the rescued miners hugged their families and cried.

The miners looked tired but appeared to be in good condition. Ambulances waiting outside the mine rushed them to a local hospital for examination.

The accident occurred in the No. 2 mine owned by a drilling company of Xinjiang Hami Coal Corporation at 8:50 am Sunday, when 49 miners were working below ground. Twenty-five managed to escape, but 24 were trapped.

Fifteen of those who were caught underground were in the tunnel. Rescuers acted promptly to drain water, clear the tunnel and provide fresh air, said Xu Jianqun, secretary of the drilling company's Communist Party committee.

Some Xinjiang and Hami City officials joined in the rescue work soon after the accident.

Rescuers are still searching for the nine missing miners.

(Xinhua News Agency March 8, 2004)