Twelve miners were buried when a deserted mine collapsed Thursday afternoon in southwest China's Yunnan Province, killing at least two of them, local government sources said Saturday.

Four miners were dug out, two of whom were dead. The other two were sent to hospital and the remaining eight miners were still trapped underground.

The accident happened when 12 farmers, led by a person named Luo Kaisheng, illegally entered the abandoned mine in Gejiu City to search for ore sand, local police said.

Only one farmer escaped.

As much as 700 cubic meters of mine was collapsed, which made it more difficult for rescue work, officials said.

A professional team of over 100 members is working to rescue the trapped people.

(Xinhua News Agency March 20, 2004)