20 people rescued from flooded coal mine in north China

Crews in northern China have rescued 20 of 21 coal miners trapped inside a flooded shaft, with one still missing. Rescuers pumped water out of the mine to facilitate the rescue.

The accident happened about 11 p.m. Wednesday in Xiaoyi city in Shanxi province, a major coal-producing region southwest of Beijing.  Xiaoyi's Communist Party chief Zhao Jianxi and Mayor Yang Guang were sacked following the incident. Police earlier detained six people and were seeking others in connection with the incident.

China has cracked down on illegal mining in recent years, sharply reducing what was a high fatality rate, but a shortage of coal this year has driven up prices, prompting a surge in mining.