Chinese state media say 21 miners are trapped in a flooded iron ore pit in the nation's fourth mining accident in 10 days.

The official Xinhua news agency said water flooded the mine in eastern Shandong province late Sunday. It said seven miners managed to escape.

The accident is the fourth to hit China's notoriously dangerous mining industry since July 2, when heavy rains flooded a coal mine in Guizhou province, trapping 23 workers. Twenty-four men were trapped the same day in southern Guangxi province when rains caused their mine to collapse. Eight bodies have been recovered from that mine, while two men were brought out alive Sunday.

In Shandong province, 28 men were trapped Wednesday when a compressor caught fire in their mine shaft. The China Daily newspaper said three men died Sunday during rescue operations at that mine.

The two men rescued Sunday in Guangxi were taken to a hospital, where they were reported to be weak but in stable condition. China Daily quoted one of the men saying they survived by drinking dirty water that was dripping into the shaft.

China has one of the world's worst records for fatal mining accidents.