Six workers remain trapped in a coal mine in central China's Hubei Province, and rescuers fear the worst.
The mine has been flooded with water, up to 40 meters deep. Divers are to be sent in to find out if the men have died.
Chen Xingjia, deputy chief of the rescue team, says there is little optimism the workers have survived.
"We haven't been able to find them because of that deep water. The mine has life spaces. We hope they are lucky and found safety in the life spaces."
The accident happened Wednesday morning in Hubei's Badong County.
A similar accident at the mine one week ago killed one worker.
The mining company had sent six people to the site to clean the mess from the previous incident when the latest flooding occurred. Seven pumps have been working for more than 30 hours, but the water level has not declined.
The owner of the coal mine has been arrested and the accident is still under investigation.
In July, China's work safety watchdog vowed to close over 1,700 small, accident-prone coal mines, in a bid to enhance safety and reduce casualties.
