Eight miners have been killed, one rescued, and 13 remain trapped after a rock burst occurred at a coal mine in east China's Shangdong Province on Saturday.
The accident occurred at around 11 p.m. Saturday at Longyun Coal Mining Co. Ltd. in Yuncheng County, east China's Shandong Province. A total of 22 people were trapped in the tunnel after a rock burst leading to coal fell at both ends.
Updated at 7:30 BJT, October 26
Rescuers have found three bodies on Thursday afternoon, bringing the latest death toll of the incident to eight.
One person was found at around 2:40 p.m. while the other two were found one and a half hours later at a different location at the mining tunnel.
They were all found dead at the scene.
Rescuing efforts are continuing for the thirteen people who are still trapped underground.
Updated at 16:00 BJT, October 25
The death toll of the coal mine accident in east China's Shandong Province has risen to five, with other 16 still trapped.
A miner being sent to a nearby hospital after being rescued from the coal mine./ VCG Photo
The rescue operation is still continuing.
By noon Wednesday, 570 experts, technical staff and rescue workers were dispatched to the area, according to local authorities.
Cramped rescue space, and high temperatures are among the challenges for the rescue work.
Updated at 8:30 BJT, October 22
One of the two miners that were rescued died during medical treatment, bringing the death toll to three.
Firefighters are seen at the scene of a coal mine rock burst in Longyun Coal Mining Company in Yuncheng County, east China's Shandong Province on October 21, 2018. /China News Photo
Updated at 18:30 BJT, October 21
Correction: The number of people who have been rescued from the coal mine is two so far, instead of the "three" stated in an earlier report. Eighteen people are still trapped.
Ambulances seen at the scene of a coal mine rock burst in Longyun Coal Mining Company in Yuncheng County, east China's Shandong Province on October 21, 2018. /China News Photo
Updated at 17:28 BJT, October 21
Three people have been successfully rescued from the coal mine in east China's Shandong Province; 17 remain trapped.
Live: Updates from the mine accident site
Updated at 16:44 BJT, October 21
One more miner has been rescued; 18 remain trapped.
Updated at 15:30 BJT, October 21
One rescued, 19 others still trapped after a rock burst destroyed part of a mining tunnel in east China's Shandong Province.
More than 300 people were working inside the mine at the time of the incident.
Aerial view of Longyun Coal Mining Company./ VCG Photo
Updated at 14:28 BJT, October 21
The coal mine, where the rock burst accident happened, was operated by the Longyun Coal Mining Company.
The firm was established in November 2006 and provides the mining, processing, and sale of coal.
Updated at 14:10 BJT, October 21
A local official confirms that two workers have been killed.
Twenty people remain trapped underground; rescuers and a medical team are at the scene.
Updated at 10:23 BJT, October 21
Twenty-two workers are trapped after a rock burst occurred at a coal mine in east China's Shandong Province on Saturday night.
The burst happened at around 11:00 p.m. in a coal mine in Yuncheng County, damaging the roadways within about 100 meters of the incident. The cause of the rock burst is not yet known.
A total of 334 workers were underground when the incident happened; 312 of them have been lifted out of the well.
According to local authorities, the ventilation system in the coal mine is now working.
Around 170 rescuers are now working at the scene to evacuate the workers.
A rock burst is a violent fracture in the rock that can occur in deep mines.
Live: Latest on the mining accident in E China
China's National Coal Mine Safety Administration has rolled out a regulation to prevent rock burst in coal mines this May, and it came into effect in August.
According to the regulation, rock bursts are one of the major threats to the safety of coal mines.
In January 2017, ten miners were killed in a pit accident in north China's Shanxi Province.
Another rock burst accident in a coal mine in northeast China's Liaoning Province in November last year also left 10 workers dead.