Eight miners have been trapped in a coal mine in Southwest China's Guizhou Province for about 40 hours, as rescuers have been unable to enter the mine's flooded shaft.

The flood occurred at 11:30 pm Tuesday at the Guba coal mine in the city of Fuquan, where 41 miners were working underground. Thirty-three managed to escape.

Experts said underground water has been seeping into the mine due to continuous rainfall, causing water levels to remain high. Eight pumps are being used to drain the shaft.

A spokesman from the local rescue headquarters said 5,500 cubic meters of water have been pumped out and a large fan has been installed to ventilate the shaft.