Beijing - A flood trapped up to 34 people in a shaft at a coal mine in central China's Henan province on Monday, the government said.

Water flooded into the shaft at the Gaomendong mine in Henan's Jiaxian county, near the city of Pingdingshan, as 42 miners were underground at 7:20 am, the State Administration of Work Safety said.

The safety administration said 33 miners were trapped and nine escaped after the flood, but later state media reports said 34 people were still trapped underground.

The township-level mine was licensed to produce up to 60,000 tons of coal annually, the safety administration said.

Accidents kill an estimated 10,000 people annually in Chinese mines. The accidents are often triggered by outdated equipment and poor safety measures with many occurring at illegal mines. (dpa)