BEIJING (AP) – A flash flood triggered by heavy rains poured into a coal mine in eastern China, trapping 172 miners, a state news agency reported today. There was no word on how many miners were believed to be alive.

The flooding occurred at about 2:30 p.m. on Friday in the mine run by the Huayuan Mining Co. in Xintai, a city in Shandong province, the Xinhua News Agency said.