Rescuers are going all out to pump water from a flooded iron ore mine in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region where 36 miners are trapped.

Local officials said the flood occurred early on Wednesday at Haolaigou Iron Ore Mine in Donghe District, near the city of Baotou. 

Local officials, including Mo Jiancheng, secretary of the Baotou City Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Hu'ercha, acting mayor of Baotou, went to the mine shortly after being informed of the incident. 

A special taskforce has been assembled and rescue headquarters are coordinating the work. 

Dong Hanzhong, chief of publicity with the Baotou City CPC Committee, said water flooded three of the mine's vertical shafts and trapped the miners. 

Haolaigou Iron Ore Mine is owned by Chaoyue Mining Co. Ltd. of Baotou City.

(Xinhua News Agency January 17, 2007)