By Agencies

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Rescue workers in northern China have said they have detected no signs of life from about 30 miners trapped in a flooded mine for more than six days.

Teams have worked to drain water from the mine in Wuhai, in China's Inner Mongolia province, but rescuers have said they do not know where the missing miners are located.

Water gushed into the mine last week as 77 miners were digging underground tunnels, killing at least one miner while 45 others managed to escape.

"I am very sorry to inform you that so far, we haven't been able to find the trapped miners," Lan Yi, deputy manager of Shenhua Group Wuhai Energy Corporation, told Chinese media on Sunday.

Rescue workers had earlier drilled holes in the hope of communicating with the missing miners, but no signs of life were detected.

Deadly mines

The mine is owned by Wuhai Energy Co. Ltd. whose parent company Shenhua Group Corp. Ltd. is one of China's major mining firms.

China's mining industry is the world's deadliest, with thousands of mines killed every year in tunnel collapses, underground explosions and other accidents.

Most incidents occur in smaller mines, or mines operating illegally after being shut down by authorities.

According to the latest official figures, more than 3,000 miners were killed in 2008 alone.

China's government has vowed to crackdown on work safety, but while laws exist on paper enforcement of regulations has often been lax.

In addition, China's huge appetite for energy combined with a ready supple of cheap migrant labour has meant many mine owners cut corners on safety in pursuit of a quick profit.