RESCUE operations were continuing last night for 13 miners trapped underground in a flooded coal shaft in northwestern China - a reminder of the dangers of an industry that claimed the lives of 36 others a day earlier.

A total of 16 workers were inside the shaft when water gushed into the mine in Jinta County in Gansu Province yesterday morning.

Three men were safely lifted out but 13 men remain trapped.

On Saturday night, 28 miners were killed when an electrical cable caught fire inside a coal shaft in northerwest Shaanxi Province. There were no survivors, the general office of the Shaanxi provincial government said yesterday.

Police have detained Guo Yungang, owner of the Xiaonangou coal mine in Sangshuping Township in Shaanxi. Rescuers had retrieved the remains of five miners by 6:30am yesterday and the location of the 23 other bodies had been determined, the statement said.

The underground fire is still raging, so rescuers cannot enter the shaft. Monitoring equipment has been set up to monitor gases and oxygen concentrations.

Run by Xinxin Mining Co Ltd, the mine was being extended with annualoutput expected to rise to 90,000 tons from 30,000 tons on completion.

In central China's Henan Province, eight coal miners died when a blaze engulfed a mine operated by the Zhengzhou Coal Industry Group on Saturday morning.

• province [´prɔvins] n.省；领域；范围 (初中英语单词)
• yesterday [´jestədi] n.&ad.昨天；前不久 (初中英语单词)
• safely [´seifli] ad.安全地；平安地 (初中英语单词)
• equipment [i´kwipmənt] n.装备，设备 (初中英语单词)
• monitor [´mɔnitə] n.班长 v.监控；检查 (初中英语单词)
• oxygen [´ɔksidʒən] n.氧，氧气 (初中英语单词)
• annual [´ænjuəl] a.每年的 n.年刊 (初中英语单词)
• output [´autput] n.产品；产品；计算结果 (初中英语单词)
• underground [,ʌndə´graund] ad.&a.地下(的) (高中英语单词)
• electrical [i´lektrikəl] a.用电的；与电有关的 (高中英语单词)
• location [ləu´keiʃən] n.定位；位置；地方 (高中英语单词)
• mining [´mainiŋ] n.采矿；矿业 (高中英语单词)
• northwestern [,nɔ:θ´westən] a.西北的；自西北的 (英语四级单词)
• provincial [prə´vinʃəl] a.省的 n.外省人 (英语四级单词)
• township [´taunʃip] n.乡；区 (英语四级单词)
• completion [kəm´pli:ʃən] n.完成；完整 (英语四级单词)
• reminder [ri´maində] n.提醒物；纪念品；暗示 (英语六级单词)
• extended [iks´tendid] a.伸长的；广大的 (英语六级单词)