China miners rescued from flooded Batian pit in Sichuan

An estimated 141,000 cu ft (4,000 cu m) of water had collected in the pit, said a provincial safety official.

If all miners are rescued safely, it will be a rare success in China’s accident-prone mining industry.

China’s mines are the world’s deadliest; more than 2,600 miners died in accidents in 2009.

China depends on coal for about 70% of its energy needs.

Unlike many of the mines where accidents are most frequent, the Batian pit is legal and well regulated, officials told Chinese state media.

The official Xinhua News Agency said Batian had been in active production at the time of the flooding; it was being upgraded to increase its annual capacity from 50,000 tons to 60,000 tons.

The workers had been underground for safety work, it said.