The 17 workers who were trapped in a coal mine hit by flooding Sunday afternoon in western China's Gansu Province were still missing on Monday morning, according to the local authority.

Twenty-nine miners were working in the privately-run Wutao Coal Mine in Shandan County when the accident happened at 1:30 pm Sunday and 12 were rescued.

A group of officials and experts headed by Gansu Deputy Governor Yang Zhiming rushed to the site for rescue operations on Monday morning.

The rescuers now are draining water via six pumps from the flood-hit mine but the water level in the mine still remains around 70 meters deep.

More pumps along with other materials for rescue will be added to the spot several hours later, according to the rescue team.

Investigation into the cause of the accident is still underway.

(Xinhua News Agency May 24, 2004)