Illegal work blamed in mine disaster

Search continues for 14 coal miners who are still missing in flooded pit

A flood in a coal mine in Qitaihe in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, where 14 miners remain trapped, was the result of illegal mining, according to local authorities.

As of Monday evening, rescuers were still pumping water out of Furuixiang Coal Mine, which flooded at about 11:40 pm on Saturday, but rescuers could not predict when the water will be drained, Li Shuguang, an official in charge of emergency response with the city's work safety bureau, told China Daily.