The death toll at the flooded Wangjialing Coal Mine in north China's Shanxi Province had risen to 20 as of 8:20 p.m. Thursday while 18 miners are still unaccounted for, rescue authorities said.

Three more bodies were recovered late Thursday after five were found earlier in the day.

As of late Thursday, about 240,000 cubic meters of water had been pumped out, much more than the presumed 130,000 cubic meters, said Liu Dezheng, spokesman of the rescue operation, late Thursday.

Seven of nine working sections had been ruled out for the existence of survivors and the targeted areas were narrowed to two sections, he said.

Rescue operations were resumed after a short suspension because suspected leakage from an adjacent abandoned mine prompted flooding fears and an evacuation of the rescuers.

Hundreds of rescuers evacuated when the shaft ceiling began to leak Thursday morning, said Liu Dezheng.

The leakage had stopped by Thursday afternoon.

Some survivors telephoned their family Thursday morning, and the family members would been organized to visit them, said Hong Yu, deputy manager of China National Coal Group Corp., who owns the flooded mine.

All victims would be compensated, Hong added.

A total of 261 miners were working below ground when the mine flooded on March 28. Some 108 miners escaped unharmed while 153 were trapped underground.

On Monday, 115 miners were brought out of the mine alive after being trapped for more than a week.

(Xinhua News Agency April 9, 2010)