20 of 21 Chinese miners rescued from flooded shaft

Crews have safely rescued 20 of 21 Chinese coal miners trapped inside a flooded shaft, with one still missing

BEIJING -- Crews in northern China have safely rescued 20 of 21 coal miners trapped inside a flooded shaft, with one still missing, officials said.

The accident happened about 11 p.m. Wednesday in Xiaoyi city in Shanxi province, a major coal-producing region southwest of Beijing.

State broadcaster CCTV showed rescue crews bringing the miners out one-by-one after loading them into waiting ambulances.

Xiaoyi's Communist Party chief Zhao Jianxi and Mayor Yang Guang were sacked following the incident, state media reported. Police earlier detained six people and were seeking others in connection with the incident.