Floods trap Chinese miners

PLEASE NOTE: EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL

Rescuers were busy on Friday installing pumps to drain the flood water which has trapped 11 miners underground at this colliery in southwest China.

More than 300 rescuers are working round the clock to reach the trapped men.

SOUNDBITE: ZHANG YIHAO, HEAD OF THE RESCUE OPERATION, SAYING (Mandarin):

"The biggest challenge is the depth of the pit, as this is a one-borehole shaft which has a long slope of nearly 400 metres so it's very difficult to install the water pumps."

Twelve other miners working underground at the time managed to escape.

Authorities say the flood was triggered by a blast at a neighbouring mine in Guizhou province.

The official Xinhua news agency said investigations are still underway.

Poor safety standards and a rush to feed demand from the robust economy have made China's mines the deadliest in the world.

Paul Chapman, Reuters