A Uighur man works in a coalyard in front of the old city wall in the town of Kashgar, Xinjiang province on April 2, 2008. (PHOTO / AFP)

BEIJING - China's Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) has dispatched a working group to guide and undertake rescue efforts after a coal mine was flooded on Saturday in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

At 6:10 pm Saturday, the coal mine was flooded in Hutubi County, the Hui Autonomous Prefecture of Changji, trapping 21 people.

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A ministry official has been sent to the scene to lead the working group and experts in their rescue efforts, according to the MEM.

National rescue teams and local firefighting teams have been dispatched to aid rescue operations, the ministry added. 

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