All 29 Chinese miners trapped in flooded Sichuan mine saved

All 29 workers trapped in a flooded coal mine in China's southwestern province of Sichuan have been taken to safety, ending a daylong rescue mission, China Central Television reported.

The miners were wrapped in quilts by paramedics as they emerged from the pit to the applause of a crowd gathered near the entrance, the state broadcaster showed. Rescuers took about an hour between pulling out the first and last worker, according to Bloomberg.

The workers became trapped on Sunday morning after the small Batian mine in Sichuan province was suddenly flooded from water from a nearby abandoned mine shaft.

Initially, 35 were stuck and while 13 of those managed to escape, another seven miners went in to rescue their colleagues and also became trapped.

The group found dry space about 125ft (40 metres) below the surface and waited to be rescued. Emergency teams pumped out the water to make way for the rescuers.

"They were trapped down underground just above the leaked water," said Bao Xiqiang, a work safety inspector, Sky News reports.