China rescues 11 miners after being trapped underground for 14 days
Rescuers are seen at the site where workers were trapped underground at the gold mine, in Qixia, China. Reuters
Gulf Today Reporter
Chinese rescuers pulled 11 gold miners to safety on Sunday, 14 days after they were trapped by an underground explosion, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Footage showed the first miner to be rescued, a black blindfold across his eyes, being lifted out of a mine shaft in the morning, according to Reuters.
The miner was extremely weak, CCTV said on its Weibo site. Rescue workers wrapped the barely responsive man in a blanket before taking him to hospital by ambulance.
Over the next few hours, 10 miners from a different section of the mine, who had been receiving food and supplies from rescue workers last week, were brought out in batches.
State broadcaster footage showed a small elevator carriage lifted to the surface by a huge drill, accompanied by rescue workers. A masked man, who appeared unable to stand, was carried out.
A total of 22 workers were trapped underground in the Hushan gold mine on the outskirts of Yantai, in Shandong province on the northeast coast, in the Jan.10 blast.
Rescuers have been in contact with 11 miners trapped in the middle section of the mine, about 350 metres underground, and have managed to send food and medical supplies down to them.
One borehole had to be sealed up with cement after a water leak threatened the miners' safety.
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One miner is known to have died of injuries sustained in the initial blast, state media reported on Wednesday.
The local government said on its official social media feed on Thursday that rescuers had started drilling a tenth channel with a 711-mm (28 inches) diameter that they hope will allow the 11 to be extracted.
On Thursday morning, the road leading to the mine was sealed off by police to ensure rescue efforts are not hampered. About 600 people are involved in the rescue, with as many as 25 ambulances waiting at the scene, as well as neurosurgeons, trauma specialists and psychologists.
A Reuters team saw fire trucks and cars coming and going through a checkpoint on an approach road.
