Rescuers equip a large diameter water pipe at the Xinjing Coal Mine in Zuoyun County, north China's Shanxi Province, May 22. (Xinhua Photo)

    BEIJING, May 23 -- Rescuers trying to free miners trapped by flooding in a north China colliery said last night their efforts were being hampered by a lack of electricity needed to power the underground pumps.

    Meanwhile, the number of miners still left underground was raised from 44 to 57, and relatives said they were running out of hope that they would ever see their loved ones again.

    An 800-member rescue team was working last night to pump out water that flooded the Xinjing Coal Mine in Shanxi Province on Thursday. 

    But emergency officials said the effort was going slowly because there wasn't enough power supply to drive the pumps.

    Shen Wenhui, wife of 34-year-old miner Zhang Chunbo, said she was in despair because she had received no information about her husband's fate.

    Confusion over the number of miners trapped was a result of a cover-up by mine officials and poor management, authorities said.

    Mine officials originally reported that only five workers were trapped.

    Colliery executives also allegedly organized taxis to drive relatives of the missing miners away from the scene to prevent them from rioting and to keep them from talking to reporters, authorities aid.

    Nine mine managers were in custody last night, seven of whom have been detained for criminal investigation, Xinhua news agency reported. Police are searching for the mine's owner.

    In addition to concealing the extent of the accident, mine officials also intentionally hid employee information, handicapping the investigation, according to authorities.

    Li Yizhong, director of the State Administration of Work Safety, accused the coal mine of illegal operations.

    The facility's rated capacity is 90,000 tons of coal a year, but last year it produced 130,000 tons, officials said. It also reportedly turned out the same amount between March 2 and last week, signaling high-intensity production.

    (Source: Shanghai Daily)