BEIJING, Feb. 21 (Xinhuanet) -- 7 miners have been confirmed dead in a flooded coal mine in North China's Shanxi province.

The mine in Yangquan was flooded on Tuesday morning due to illegal mining. Local authorities earlier said there were 6 trapped miners but revised it to a death toll at a news conference. The incident is being investigated and the mine’s owners have already been apprehended.

The local government has initiated a campaign to discourage illegal mining and encourage residents to report such operations.

(Source: CNTV.cn)