Rescuers continue pumping water out of a flooded colliery in Changchun, Jilin Province, but the whereabouts of the six miners still trapped in the pit remain unknown, a local rescue source said.

The flooding occurred at about 3:10 AM Thursday at a Changling coalmine, trapping seven miners, only one of whom has been rescued.

The power supply and drainage systems in the pit were restored by 6:00 AM Friday, said Li Lianqing, director of the workplace safety bureau in Shuangyang District.

About 60 cubic meters of flood water is being pumped out of the mine every hour, he said, adding that a second pump will be in place by midday today to speed up the drainage process.

Li said toxic gas density in the pit has lowered to normal levels and two rescue teams are working round-the-clock to monitor the situation.

(Xinhua News Agency December 9, 2005)