At least seven people were trapped underground after a coal mine flooding accident occurred Wednesday afternoon in Yongding County, east China's Fujian Province, local government said Thursday.

The accident happened at around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at Laoliaokeng Coal Mine in Longtan Township.

Rescue work is well under way, and the cause of the accident is being investigated.

(Xinhua News Agency July 9, 2009)