XI'AN - Eleven people were trapped underground following a coal mine cave-in in northwest China's Shaanxi province on Wednesday, local authorities said.

The collapse occurred in a pit of Liujiamao Coal Mine at Shenmu county of Yulin city, at around 9 am Wednesday. At the time of the accident, 49 miners were working underground and 38 of them succeeded in fleeing for life, the county government said.

The rescue work is under way. The privately-owned Liujiamao Coal Mine is operated on test run, rescuers said.