Seven miners were trapped in a flooded coal mine in Leping City, east China's Jiangxi Province, local government sources said.

The flooding occurred at around 10 AM on Saturday in an illegal coal mine located in Wangjiaqiao, in Yongshan Township, while nine miners were working. By 9 PM, only two miners had been rescued.  

On learning of the incident, the provincial bureau of coal mine safety immediately dispatched a team of professionals to the site to provide guidance to the rescue work.

A rescue operation for those still missing continues.

An investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.

(Xinhua News Agency June 19, 2005)