Siberia: Seventeen people are missing inside flooded diamond mine

The Mir mine in Siberia is one of Alrosa's largest diamond deposits

File photo shows a mine of Russian Alrosa company for extraction of diamond ore outside the town of Mirny (AFP/Getty Images)

Russian officials say 17 people are missing inside a flooded diamond mine in Siberia.

The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry says rescue workers have established contact with 134 of the 151 miners who were down in the pit when it got flooded on Friday. The ministry 133 people have been evacuated to safety so far.

The mine's owner, the state-controlled Alrosa company, said in a statement the mine flooded after water burst from the quarry.

The Mir mine in Siberia is one of Alrosa's largest diamond deposits.

Local media reported last week that mine workers recorded dangerously high levels of underground water and that the company had installed extra pumps to pump it out.

AP