ISTANBUL

Five people trapped in a coal mine flooding in northeast China’s Heilongjiang province were confirmed dead on Tuesday, local authorities said.

The flooding occurred at around 4.30 am Sunday (2030GMT Saturday) at the Datonggou coal mine in Jixi city, operated by Heilongjiang Fengyuan Mining Co, according to the city’s publicity department.

After extensive rescue efforts, the bodies of all five individuals were recovered, but no signs of life were found, state-run Xinhua News reported.

Post-accident response measures are ongoing, and an investigation into the cause of the flooding is underway.