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Coal mine flooding traps 16 miners in Northeast China
(Xinhua/AFP)
Updated: 2005-08-20 14:06
Rescue workers are racing to extricate 16 miners trapped in a flooded coal mine in northeastern China, a work safety official said.
The Fengguang Coal Mine near Shulan city in Jilin province flooded on Friday, the Jilin work safety administration official said.
Jittery relatives of coal miners wait outside the mine in Shulan City, Northeast China's Jilin Province, August 20, 2005. [Xinhua] |
"There are still 16 trapped and right now we're trying to locate them," she said, identifying herself only by her surname Li.
According to Xinhua news agency, there were 152 miners in the shaft at the time of the flooding, and 136 managed to escape immediately.
Chinese rescuers get ready to go into a coal mine in Shulan City, northeast China's Jilin Province, August 20, 2005. [Xinhua] |
Xinhua said the source of the flood was an underground pond that had formed in an abandoned coal mine nearby.
While looking for survivors, rescue workers were also busy trying to plug the hole to the pond, estimating they would need 7,000 cubic meters (245,000 cubic feet) of earth and stone to complete the task.
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