33 dead, missing in China mine flooding

BEIJING, April 11 (UPI) -- Flooding in a North China coal mine has left 33 dead and missing, officials say.

There were 115 miners lifted out alive after being trapped underground in the Wangjialing mine for more than a week, the state-run news agency Xinhua reported Monday.

A total of 261 miners had been trapped on March 28 after workers broke into an unused shaft that had filled with groundwater. The water then flooded the mine.

Rescuers had been able to save 108 people immediately after the accident, CNN reported.

In China, mine accidents are common, CNN said.

In 2009, such accidents claimed 2,631 lives.