Mine rescue in China: Survivors will remain trapped for at least two more weeks

Chinese rescue teams say it could take more than two weeks until they can rescue a group of miners trapped hundreds of feet underground.

They have been trapped since an explosion closed the entrance tunnel of the Hushan gold mine in Shandong province on January 10.

Authorities contacted 11 surviving miners a week after the blast, but one has since died.

Rescuers drilled small holes to provide food and medicine to the men.

The cause of the explosion that sealed the mine entrance is still unknown.

The fate of another 11 miners trapped by the blast is unclear – authorities could not communicate with them, despite the reduction of food and messages in other parts of the mine.

The group discovered alive and told rescuers that they had been communicating with a lone miner about 100 meters below them, but had since lost contact with him.

Currently, rescue operations are trying to widen a narrow shaft to make it large enough to lift the miners.

However, drilling is difficult because it has to come through especially hard granite and the miners are trapped far from the surface. Rescuers have an extra problem because the mine is soaked and there is a risk that the room where the miners are stuck may flood.

“The obstacles are just too great, which means we still need at least 15 days or more to reach the miners,” said Gong Haitao, deputy head of the local publicity department.

The rubbish standing in the way weighs about 70 tons, he added.

The access to the mine was severely damaged and the communication was cut off by the hitherto unexplained explosion.

There was no sign of life for a week. Last Sunday, rescue workers felt themselves pulling one of the ropes they had dropped into small shafts leading to the dark.

A paper letter was then sent to the queue of a group of 12 surviving miners – 11 trapped in one place and a 12th trapped further.

Since then, contact with the 12th miner has been lost, while one of the group of 11, who fell into a coma after sustaining a head injury during the blast, was confirmed Thursday.

Mining accidents are not uncommon in China, where industry safety regulations can be poorly enforced. In December last year, 23 miners died after a carbon monoxide leak at a coal mine.

In September, 16 workers at another mine on the outskirts of Chongqing died, also due to carbon monoxide. In December 2019, at least 14 people were killed by an explosion at a coal mine in Guizhou Province, southwest China.

The group of ten known survivors were trapped about 600 meters underground. They are in regular contact with the rescue teams.

A line of communication has been established and food and medicine can be laid down to them by means of a narrow shaft.

While receiving porridge and nutrients, the miners asked for a traditional meal sausage a few days ago.

Eight of them are believed to be doing well, while two are in poor health.