GUANGDONG, China, Aug. 16 (UPI) -- At least 121 miners remained trapped underground Tuesday, 10 days after a flood at an unlicensed coal mine in China's Guangdong province.
Two bodies have been recovered after the Aug. 7 flood at the Daxing Coal Mine in the city of Xingning left 123 miners trapped. Four miners escaped.
Rescue operations were stepped up Monday, even though experts said that the chance of finding more survivors was almost zero, China Daily reported Tuesday.
Zeng Yungao, the owner of the mine, was put under house arrest, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
Zeng fled after the mine flooded and tried to spend $36.9 million on a coverup, but failed when the Central Discipline Inspection Commission began an investigation.
Zeng is reported to have handed out $185 million worth of stock shares as bribes to local officials over the past few years.
The investigation, which has questioned dozens of local officials, reportedly found that a number of local officials had close personal connections with the Daxing Coal Mine.
