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Rescuers detect signs of life from 22 trapped Chinese miners
BEIJING, Jan 17, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – Rescuers detected signs of life Sunday
from 22 gold miners trapped underground in east China, a week after the
workers were cut off by an explosion, state media reported.
The blast on January 10 badly damaged the exit ladder from the mine and the
communications system, leaving authorities unable to contact the workers in
the mine located near Qixia city in eastern Shandong province.
Rescuers on Sunday afternoon drilled down into the mine and heard “knocking
sounds”, the official Xinhua news agency said, although they still “needed
confirmation”.
Local officials plan to lower food and telephone lines into the mine, owned
by the Shandong Wucailong Investment Co. Ltd., which was under construction
when the accident happened.
Two officials have been sacked over the explosion.
Mining accidents are common in China, where the industry has a poor safety
record and regulations are often weakly enforced.
In December, 23 miners died after being trapped in a mine in the
southwestern city of Chongqing — just months after 16 others died from
carbon monoxide poisoning after being caught underground at another coal mine
in the city.
BSS/AFP/ARS/1726 hrs