A total of eight people were confirmed trapped underground after a flood in a graphite mine Monday in central China's Hunan province, local government spokesman said Tuesday.

The accident occurred at around 6:00 p.m. Monday at Wangda Graphite Mine in Heye town in Guiyang county. At least eight miners were trapped, a spokesman for Chenzhou city, which administers the county, said, adding that rescue work was well under way.

Further details are not yet available, and the cause of the accident is being investigated.

(Xinhua News Agency August 25, 2009)