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Nineteen confirmed dead in China mine flood

TOKYO, April 18 (KUNA) -- The death toll from a mine flood in southwest China's Yunnan Province rose to 19 on Friday as rescuers found 14 more bodies, with three others still missing, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.
The accident that happened on April 7 at a coal mine in Qujing City trapped 22 miners underground, while four others were rescued, according to the rescue headquarters.
Investigators believe the flooding was caused by an explosion. Rescuers retrieved four bodies on Thursday and one on Wednesday, when onsite searching started, the report said.
Narrow underground spaces and the complicated layout of the mine have hampered the search efforts, it said, adding that rescuers are continuing to search for the other three miners. (end) mk.hb