Contact made with trapped miners after 6 days

World Today

Chinese rescuers are continuing rescue operations at a gypsum mine in east China’s Shandong Province which collapsed last Friday, where 29 people were working underground at the time.

Contact made with trapped miners after 6 days

So far, one of them has been confirmed dead and 11 people have been saved. But that still leaves 17 miners who are thought to be still trapped in two different sections of the mine.

Two tunnels have been dug to save them. One was started on Tuesday night, and has progressed just over ten meters.

Contact made with trapped miners after 6 days

Digging on the second tunnel began on Wednesday, and a micro-lens has been sent down to a depth of 220 meters into the mine. Contact has been established with four people trapped in the southwest section of the mine. Rescuers are still locating other survivors.

Rescue teams are sending food and drink into the tunnel with the hope of keeping the miners alive before finally reaching and rescuing them.

Contact made with trapped miners after 6 days

Two more rescue tunnels with a diameter of over 70cm are being planned to rescue the eight miners. The trapped workers will then be lifted up through these tunnels. However, due to the complex geological structure, the rescue operation still faces considerable difficulties. Over 680 rescuers have been mobilized so far and the search for the 9 unaccounted miners continues.