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?AM on Sunday at Lingxian coal mine, a township-owned mine in Le'an County of central Jiangxi, said an official with the local coal mine safety administration.

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

The mine's license has not expired, he said.

Rescue work is already underway.

In a separate accident in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, rescuers are still trying to save nine people who have 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 28, 2007)