Nine miners were trapped underground after a cave-in at a coal mine in east China's Jiangxi Province Thursday night, provincial work safety authorities said Friday.

The accident happened at around 9:00 p.m. Thursday at the Xingwang Coal Mine in Qianshan County, but county authorities were not informed of the accident until Friday morning.

The miners are trapped 186 meters below the surface.

Rescue operations are under way.