BEIJING - Flooding at a coal mine under construction in North China has trapped 123 workers underground, the national work safety watchdog said Sunday night.

It is the latest in a series of accidents at coal mines being built or rebuilt to raise capacity.

The flooding occurred on Sunday afternoon when 261 shift workers were underground at Wangjialing coal mine in Xiangning county of Shanxi province, the State Administration of Work Safety said in a statement.