Flood traps 36 Chinese miners
(CNN) -- Thirty-six miners were trapped underground by flooding in China's southwestern Guizhou province, according to the country's state-run Xinhua News Agency.
Forty-four of the 80 miners underground at the time of the flooding Sunday were rescued, the news agency said. The condition of those who were trapped was unknown, but so far no casualties have been reported.
Mining accidents are common in China.
On Friday, a gas explosion in a northern mine killed 28 miners and five rescuers.
Last month, a gas explosion in a state-owned coal mine in northwestern China killed 166 people. Another 140 miners died in an explosion in Henan province.
The country's mining industry relies heavily on poorly maintained, outdated technology and has death rates among the world's highest.
Beijing has tried to crack down on unsafe conditions, but authorities say local officials leave many questionable mines open to keep unemployment low.
More than 4,000 miners have died in similar accidents between January and September of this year, according to Chinese government figures. Some 6,300 died in mining accidents last year.
