Four trapped miners rescued after four days

Four miners trapped in a flooded coal mine in north-east China for more than five days were rescued on Friday.

More than 4,000 cubic meters of water has been pumped out of the Furuixiang Coal Mine in Qitaihe City of Heilongjiang Province, and the water level in the mine has dropped about 20 meters, officials said.

The four miners were found alive at about 1:20 a.m. after two working platforms were connected. They were lifted out of the mine at about 5:30 a.m. and were instantly sent to a local hospital, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Rescuers are still searching for seven others who have been missing after the mine was flooded on Saturday.

A total of 22 miners were working underground when the accident occurred. Six miners escaped, with another two escorted out of the mine on Sunday.

Three miners have been confirmed dead.