CHINA – Datonggou coal mine flooding in Heilongjiang province in China left 5 people dead who had earlier been trapped underneath, according to local reports on Tuesday.

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.