15 feared dead in two China coal mine accidents

Two coal mine accidents in northern China have killed up to 15 people and left 11 trapped.

Rescuers are trying to reach the miners trapped after water flooded the mine in the north-central province of Hebei on Sunday.

No survivors have been found or bodies recovered and officials believe the entire mine may be flooded, making chances of survival slim.

It has not yet been determined where the water came from. Such accidents commonly happen when miners hit an abandoned well or other underground water source.

On Tuesday, four miners were killed in a gas explosion at another mine in Hebei. The cause of that blast was unknown but pockets of explosive gas can be trapped under the earth near coal seams.

China's mines are the most dangerous in the world. Thousands of people die in them every year in fires, explosions and other accidents blamed on lack of safety equipment and training.