Rescuers fight to save 34 trapped in coal mine

Source: Xinhua  |   2008-11-18  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

Rescuers said they still have hopes of saving 34 miners trapped for almost 16 hours in a flooded coal mine in central China's Henan Province.

"The gas density is low and the amount of flooding was not huge when the accident happened," said Li Hanwei, vice chief of the rescue headquarters. "There is still a chance for the miners to survive."

Rescuers are drilling holes in the ground to try to establish contact with the trapped miners.

The accident happened about 7:20am at the Gaomendong Coal Mine in Jiaxian County, Pingdingshan City. There were 42 people working underground when the mine shaft flooded. Only eight escaped safely.

Thirty-four miners are believed to be trapped about 800 meters from the pit's entrance and 200 to 300 meters underground, Li said.

More than 800 rescuers were clearing silt from a blocked section of the tunnel, which is about 30 meters long, while drilling toward the trapped miners at a speed of 40 meters per hour.

The trapped miners were mostly farmers from surrounding villages. Their families gathered at the scene.

The cause of the flooding is being investigated under the supervision of Wang Dexue, deputy director of the national work safety administration.

The Gaomendong Coal Mine is a legal colliery with a designed annual production of 60,000 tons, according to a press release from the provincial government.

There are more than 20 coal mines around the Gaomendong mine. This is the third coal mine accident in Henan in less than three weeks.