At least 10 people were trapped underground after a local colliery where they were working was flooded early Sunday, coal mine safety watchdog in east China's Jiangxi Province confirmed.

The flood occurred around 3:30 a.m. on Sunday at Lingxian Coal Mine, a township-owned mine in Le'an County of Jiangxi Province, said a spokesman for the local rescue headquarters.

Preliminary investigations show at least 12 people were working underground, and only two managed to escape, he said, adding that they are still trying to find out the exact number of trapped miners.

Seven of the trapped miners are likely to survive as they were far away from the flooded section, he said.

Rescuers estimate that about 400 to 500 cubic meters of water had poured into the shafts, but silts and ores blocked rescuers from reaching the missing miners.

The mine's license is valid. Investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.

In a separate accident in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, rescuers are still trying to save nine people who had been trapped in a private colliery for about 50 hours.

Rescuers have not established contact with the missing miners, but said they still have chances to survive as there are plenty of oxygen in the shafts and gas density is low.

(Xinhua News Agency October 29, 2007)