Rescuers haven't detected any signs of life at the collapsed iron mine in the eastern Anhui Province, said local sources on Friday.

Since the cave-in that took place at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the mine in Fanchang, rescuers have conducted three rounds of search to locate the 12 missing farmers, according to Gao Chengjun, an official with the rescue team.

"However, we failed to find any victim or sign of life," he said.

Mountains around the site were in unstable condition, and landslides thwarted rescue work, said Gao.

"Rescue plan has been adjusted again and again," he said, "we are considering to open an underground tunnel so as to reach the buried."

The mine is owned by Taochong Mining Co., a division of Ma'anshan Steel Group, a major steel maker. The caved-in zone had been abandoned by the company, but local residents often conducted illegal mining activities, said Cheng Chuanru, chief of the Anhui Provincial Bureau of Work Safety.

All the victims were local residents, he added.

Despite difficulties, Xie Guangxiang, vice governor of the Anhui Province, ordered rescuers to "speed and pay utmost efforts".

The Fanchang county is about two hours' drive from Hefei, the provincial capital.

(Xinhua News Agency June 27, 2008)