17 feared dead in north China coal mine flooding

BEIJING, Thursday (AFP) - A coal mine in north China's Shanxi province has flooded, killing two people and trapping 15 others underground, state media said Thursday.

The accident took place Wednesday at the Fanjiasi mine in Dianwan town, Zuoyun county, Xinhua news agency said, citing information from the provincial coal mine work safety supervision bureau.

Of the 22 people working at the time, only five people escaped and two of the 17 trapped have been confirmed dead, Xinhua said.

Rescue work was underway. The cause of the accident was being investigated.

China has been hit by a string of deadly mine accidents in recent months, bringing into global focus the lives sacrificed as the country's coal industry ramps up production to help fuel China's rapid economic development.

A mine disaster in the northern province of Hebei this month killed at least 91 people. Another explosion in northeastern Heilongjiang province last month killed 171 miners.

China's mines are the world's deadliest with more than 6,000 miners dying in accidents last year, according to government statistics. Labor rights groups say the real figure could be as high as 20,000.

The country relies on coal for 70 percent of its energy needs.

Efforts by the central government to improve safety have been largely useless as local governments turn a blind eye to violations by profit-driven mine owners.

Workers in China also have no rights to go on strike or form a union, rendering them helpless in their efforts to improve safety standards.