Chinese police find 7 dead in an abandoned mine flood and 21 are held for illegal mining

BEIJING (AP) — Seven people drowned in an illegal mining operation inside an abandoned mine outside of China’s southwestern city of Chongqing after rain triggered flooding, police said Monday.

Police in Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County said they found the bodies in the closed, abandoned mine on the border with neighboring Xiushan County, according to a statement released on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform.

Police said they discovered the illegal mining operation after receiving reports of people missing at the mine on Saturday. They detained 21 people.

A preliminary investigation indicated that the seven drowned after water levels inside the mine rose suddenly due to rainfall. The investigation is ongoing.

Police did not specify what mineral was being mined.

In July, a landslide caused by rain killed 51 people and left 10 missing in Youyang’s neighboring Pengshui county.

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