2010-04-08 14:40

XIANGNING, Shanxi - Some of the 115 miners who survived eight days and nights in a flooded north China coal mine on Thursday made their first tearful contact with relatives since their rescue.

The first communication was by telephone and doctors are still keeping the miners isolated from their families and the media because of their frail physical condition.

"I feel fine. I am recovering. Take good care of our daughter," one survivor in tears told his wife.

The miner surnamed Liu was among the 115 survivors rescued on Monday from the Wangjialing Coal Mine in Shanxi province.

"I haven't seen my family since February 1. I miss them so much," he said.

He said his wife and daughter had arrived in Hejin city near the mine on March 28, the day the accident happened, and awaited word from him.

Doctors have persuaded the miners to keep calm, and wait to call their families when their health recovers.

"The miners suffered starvation for more than a week. Their bodies are still frail, although recovering. They are likely to get agitated when talking with their families," said Liu Qiang, deputy director of the medical team with the rescue headquarters.

He said the hospitals treating the mine survivors provided cell phones to call their families on Thursday.

The rescue headquarters has forbidden visits and kept the media out of the wards. A limited number of reporters is allowed to observe the wards from hospital corridors.

"Many miners begged us to call their families, but we persuaded them to wait till their health allowed it," said Wu Ruixia, a nurse in charge at the Shanxi Aluminum Plant Hospital.

She said medical staff had helped many miners to send text messages to their families since Monday.

"None of the survivors was in intensive care, or relying on breathing machines on Wednesday," said Liu Hong, head of intensive care at the No 1 Hospital affiliated to the Shanxi Medical University in the provincial capital of Taiyuan.

"The mine company had prepared accommodation for us and treated us like family," said Gao Zhenke, father of a survivor.

He said all the survivors' families arriving at the scene had been provided accommodation.

About 600 relatives are staying near the mine waiting to visit their loved ones, according to the rescue headquarters.

"We know the authorities are doing their utmost. We should not disturb them," Gao said.

"I can't wait to go to hospital to visit my husband," said Sun Huan, wife of a miner called Li Guoyu, holding her year-old son.

She said she had two boys, and her husband was the only breadwinner in the family.