Rescuers are busy pumping water from the shaft of a coal mine in Qitaihe, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, in an attempt to save 14 miners trapped underground by a flood on Sunday.

Twenty-two miners were working in the pit when the accident happened at 11:40 pm on Saturday at Furuixiang Coal Mine in Qitaihe city. Six miners managed to escape, according to Li Shuguang, an official in charge of emergency response with the city's work safety bureau.

Two Chinese characters that mean "safety" are seen on Sunday on the wall of an entrance to Furuixiang Coal Mine in Qitaihe city, Heilongjiang province, where 14 miners were trapped underground after a flood on Saturday. [Photo/Xinhua]

As of press time on Sunday, two miners had been pulled out of the pit, which was inundated with more than 4,000 metric tons of water after the accident, according to rescuers. The two were sent to a local hospital.

Four pumps have been put into use since Sunday afternoon to transfer the water, and rescuers said the pumping would last 10 hours.

Local authorities have mobilized more than 200 rescuers and medical personnel.

Police placed the mine's owner under surveillance and froze the mine's assets, Li said.

One of the two rescued miners, 43-year-old Wen Hongfu, told China Central Television that his younger brother, 42-year-old Wen Honghe, is still trapped underground. Wen Hongfu suffered minor injuries and is receiving treatment.

The ages of the trapped miners range from 30 to 50, CCTV reported.