ITOGON, Benguet -- Strong rains and rising water on Saturday afternoon forced officials coordinating the search for 14 miners still trapped inside a flooded mine tunnel here to stop the operations.

George Baywong, a government engineer leading efforts to find the miners, called off the operations at 3:25 p.m. after heavy rains caused a sudden rise in the water level inside the Level 700 tunnel.

"I am forced to postpone our operations today because of the danger of suddenly rising water," Baywong said.

On Saturday, local miners and several rescue workers entered the tunnel at 7:30 a.m. to resume the search for the miners. Over 100 rescue workers, including Philippine Navy divers, entered the tunnel to help find the missing miners.

Baywong said the rescuers were less than 150 feet from the possible location of Mario and Joseph Anayasan, two of the missing miners, when conditions inside the tunnel worsened.

"The passageway to 264 Vein is still submerged in water. It's still too risky to proceed," he said.

The team was also inching towards the tunnel's 426 Vein, where another miner, Jerry Munyobda, is believed to be located.

Baywong said the rescue teams were about 750 feet from 426 Vein but a waterfall has obstructed the vertical shaft leading to it.

"The waterfall poses risks to rescue workers rappelling down the shaft," Baywong said.

High water levels also prevented rescuers from reaching Shaft 114 where 11 miners were trapped.

Michael Bashan, a Navy diver helping search the bodies, said rescuers had to bear with the stench and the rotting flesh mixed with the water inside the tunnel.

"The smell is unbearable and pieces of skin and flesh float on the water inside the tunnel," said Bashan.

The bodies of two miners were recovered and brought out of the tunnel on Thursday and Friday.

Baywong said the first body brought out of the tunnel on Thursday was mistakenly identified by an uncle and other relatives as belonging to Joel Bulga.

He said the victim was Jojo Himmayod and his body was identified by his mother. The body of Vincent Himmayod was brought out of the tunnel on Friday afternoon.

Still missing were Bulga, Munyobda, the Anayasan brothers, Ngitit Pagulayan, Jose Panio Jr., Robert Mabuei, Gilbert Nattem, Rudy Boling Jr., Garry Ganu, and Jayson, Rudy, Juan and Marvin, all surnamed Himmayod.