Beijing:
All 13 mine workers trapped in a flooded coal mine in China's Heilongjiang Province have been confirmed dead, local authorities said today.
The bodies of the 13 miners who died in the October 11 flood of Jindi Coal Mine in Jidong County had all been retrieved by today after nearly two weeks of rescue efforts, said Fang Dongchu, director of the municipal safety supervision bureau in the city of Jixi.
Rescue work has ended but investigations are ongoing. Twenty-four miners were working underground when the accident occurred. Eleven managed to escape.
The owner of the Jindi Coal Mine, who tried to cover up the accident, has been detained.
Three local officials, including a deputy county head, have been fired over the cover up.
The privately-owned mine is legally licensed and has been operating since 2005, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.