Thirty eight workers were trapped after a rail tunnel under construction was flooded in central China's Hubei Province, local work safety officials said on Sunday.

The flooding occurred at around 3:00 AM Sunday at the Yesanguan rail tunnel in Enshi Tu and Miao Autonomous Prefecture.

By press time, rescue teams have managed to free 16 of the workers building the tunnel but 22 remained trapped. Rescue efforts are still under way.

The rescued workers were receiving treatment in hospital.

According to rescue officials, they have got into contacts with the trapped workers in the tunnel and they are now in stable condition with no imminent life danger.

Hubei Party chief Yu Zhengsheng and governor Luo Qingquan are on their way to the accident site.

Heavy rains have triggered severe flooding and mudslides across many areas of central China in recent weeks.

The tunnel is along the Yiwan Railway, linking Yichang in Hubei Province and Wanzhou in Chongqing Municipality, southwest China.

Running through nine cites and counties in mountainous areas, the 377-km railway has a total of 121 tunnels and 179 bridges, making up more than 70 percent of its total length.

With an investment of 16.7 billion yuan (US$2.2 billion), the construction on the railway started in January 2004 and will complete at the end of 2008.

The double-track railway will is designed to allow passenger trains running at speeds of up to 160 km per hour.

(Xinhua News Agency August 5, 2007)