Taiyuan, China— Water burst into a coal mine shaft in Linfen City, Shanxi, at 3:40 a.m. Tuesday, trapping 11 miners underground. Two were confirmed dead by evening. Nine remained missing as pumps worked to drain the flooded tunnels.
The mine, Shanxi Coking Coal Group’s Xishan pit, was operating a night shift of 42 workers. A sudden inrush from an abandoned adjacent goaf flooded the 320-meter level. Eleven workers in the lower heading could not reach the escape route. Thirty-one others were lifted out safely.
Rescue headquarters said water depth in the main shaft reached 12 meters at peak. Six high-capacity pumps were installed, draining 800 cubic meters per hour. Divers entered at noon but were blocked by debris and low visibility.
"They heard water roar, then lights went out. The escape incline was already submerged. They retreated to higher ground," said a shift supervisor who escaped and waited at the pithead.
Two bodies were recovered at 5:15 p.m. near the No.2 crosscut. Identities were confirmed as a 36-year-old driller and a 41-year-old support worker. Their families were notified at the mine office.
Shanxi Emergency Management Department said the mine had passed safety inspection in August but had been flagged for incomplete water mapping of old workings. The province ordered all mines to suspend operations for water risk checks.
"The old goaf map was inaccurate. Water accumulated for years. A blasting vibration may have breached the barrier," a mine safety inspector said at the command post. He spoke on condition of anonymity pending a formal report.
Coal mine water inrushes remain a leading cause of death in Shanxi, despite stricter rules after a 2021 disaster that killed 21.
The company said it would cooperate and cover compensation. Psychological support teams were sent to families.
Rescue efforts will continue through the night, with drilling of a borehole to provide air and check for survivors in a suspected refuge chamber.
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