HARBIN - Rescuers on Wednesday located four possible positions where 26 miners might be trapped underground after an illegal coal mine in northeast Heilongjiang Province flooded on Tuesday.

Deng Xiaoqiu, a production safety official in Boli County, said rescuers are drilling holes to reach the four platforms hoping to send fresh air, drinking water and milk to the trapped miners, as water draining work may take another a few days.

The flooding occurred mid-day Tuesday, when 45 miners were working in a pit of the Hengtai Coal Mining Co. in Boli County in the coal-rich city of Qitaihe. Nineteen miners managed to escape.

Rescue officials estimate the mine pit is filled with 40,000 cubic meters of water.

Three water pumping machines are removing water out of the mine at 360 cubic meters an hour.

Deng said another pump will be put in place on Wednesday, which will increase the water-pumping speed to over 500 cubic meters per hour.

He said the Hengtai Coal Mine, with an annual output of 30,000 tonnes, was operating illegally when the accident happened.

The mine was one of the small mines ordered by the provincial government to stop production in 2007. Mining activities in the mine ended in 2009.

However, Deng said the mine owner illegally hired workers to restart the production on August 16, and workers mistakenly drilled into neighboring deserted mines, causing water seepage and the eventual flooding.