Beijing, Oct 21 (IANS): Twenty-two miners were trapped following a coal mine accident in China's Shandong province, authorities reported on Sunday.

The miners were trapped after a rock burst on Saturday night inside the mine in Yuncheng district, reports Efe news.

According to the authorities, the ventilation system inside the mine has started functioning again and rescue operations were underway.

In August, 13 miners were killed in a mine explosion in southern China.

Chinese mines, especially coal mines - the country's main source of energy -, have a high accident rate and are among the most dangerous in the world, although in recent years the number of fatal accidents has fallen significantly.

In 2017, there were 219 accidents in Chinese coal mines with 375 deaths, a drop of 28.7 per cent on the death toll of 2016 and 20 times lower than the figure recorded during the early 2000s, when up to 7,000 people died in mine accidents each year.