The remains of two more miners were recovered from a flooded coal mine in Shanxi Province on Monday, bringing the death toll of the accident to 15, local officials confirmed.

 

Rescuers are still searching for another two miners who remain missing, said sources with the rescue headquarters of Zuoyun County, where the flooded coal mine is located.

 

Rescuers have stepped up pumping out water from the shaft and installed more cables, water pipes and telephones to support the rescue efforts, said Zhang Yongxing, chief engineer with the county safety supervision bureau.

 

The accident took place at around 8:00 Wednesday morning when 22 miners were working in the Fanjiasi Coal Mine of the county. Only five people escaped, with the remaining 17 trapped.

 

Preliminary probe showed that the accident was caused by workers who broke an opening into the worked-out section during routine maintenance operations.

 

The owner of the coal mine has been detained by local police.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 2, 2006)