The chances of survival for seven miners trapped underground in a flooded coal mine in east China are slim, rescuers said Wednesday.

The miners could have drowned as the mine had only one shaft, but rescue work was continuing, said a provincial coal mine safety official.

The accident occurred at around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday at Hutangchong Coal Mine in Shangli county, Jiangxi Province.

All the seven miners are from Shangli's Dongyuan Town, where the mine is located.

The mine, with an annual production capacity of less than 30,000 tonnes, was undergoing renovation and capacity expansion.

The coal mine is about 50 km from the county seat.

Provincial coal mine safety officials are investigating the cause of the accident.

(Xinhua News Agency August 26, 2009)