BAOTOU, Inner Mongolia, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Rescuers are going all out to pump water from a flooded iron ore mine in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, where 36 miners are trapped.

    The flood occurred shortly after midnight on Wednesday at Haolaigou Iron Ore Mine in Donghe District, near the city of Baotou, when miners were changing shifts. Only 11 miners escaped, according to rescue headquarters.

    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, rushed to the site.

    A special taskforce has been assembled, and rescue headquarters are coordinating rescue efforts.

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

    Two water pumps are in operation, and rescue headquarters has sought extra equipment from coal-cum-electricity giant Shenhua Group Corp. Ltd. Four Shenhua slurry pumps are being transported from Wuhai, a city west of Baotou, to the accident site.

    Local police have put Cao Shihu, legal representative of Chaoyue Mining Co. Ltd of Baotou City, which owns Haolaigou Iron Ore Mine, under surveillance.

    Chaoyue Mining Co. Ltd. of Baotou City is a private company created in 2001. It is capable of producing 100,000 tons of fine iron ore a year.