The northeastern province of Jilin has ordered the closure of more than 70 local coal mines with potential flooding risks following a coal mine flood that trapped 16 miners on Friday.

All coal mines near the Fengguang Coal Mine in Shulan City where the colliery flood occurred were also ordered to stop production for safety check-ups, according to a joint notice by the Jilin Provincial Coal Industry Bureau, Jilin Provincial Coal Mine Safety Administration and the provincial work safety administration.

The notice says that any coal mine that does not meet the requirement for safe production will not be allowed to resume production.

The flooding took place at about 4 PM on Friday when 152 miners were working in the No.5 shaft. And 136 miners escaped the flooded coal mine alive, but 16 others remained trapped underground, according to Yuan Yuqing, deputy head of Jilin Provincial Bureau of Coal Mine Industry.

A nearby pond was identified as the source of the flooded water.

According to Yuan, rescue workers have been busy plugging the source of the flooded water, which had been formed of a deserted coal pit and it's estimated that 7,000 cu m of earth and stone would be needed to fully plug the opening.

Fengguang Coal Mine falls under jurisdiction of the mining bureau of Shulan, a city about 120 km east of Changchun City, the provincial capital.

Cause of the flooding is under investigation.

(Xinhua News Agency August 21, 2005)