36 workers remain trapped in a flooded coal mine in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Twenty miners escaped or were rescued from the Nadu mine soon after it flooded late Monday afternoon. A total of 56 miners were working underground at the time of the accident.

By Tuesday morning, rescuers had been able to make contact with 12 of the trapped workers located 2,000 meters from the tunnel entrance and were trying to send food and water to them, Xinhua reports. There has been no contact with the other 24 miners.

Rescuers continue to pump water from the mine and enhance the oxygen supply in the narrow tunnel with ventilation pipes.

The Nadu mine, owned by the Youjiang Mining Bureau in Baise, opened in 2003. According to chief mine engineer Huang Zhao its ventilation, drainage and lift facilities complied with regulations.

According to Shanghai Daily, local party secretary Guo Shengkun, region chairman Ma Biao and State Administration of Coal Mine Safety deputy Peng Jianxun were overseeing the rescue operations this morning.

Last year, nearly 3,800 people were killed in China's mines, making them the most dangerous in the world.