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  1. #1

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    dirtydog's Avatar
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    'Dozens survive' in flooded China mine

    'Dozens survive' in flooded China mine






    Up to 95 miners are believed to have survived for a week after a mine flooded in China, with rescuers now bringing workers to the surface.

    Nine miners were in the first batch rescued, with TV pictures showing them being taken to hospitals in ambulances amid jubilant scenes.

    State media say work is going on to bring all 95 to the surface.

    The Wangjialing mine in Shanxi province flooded after miners broke a wall into an abandoned shaft.

    Some 3,000 people had been working round the clock to try to pump out water to reach 153 trapped miners.

    Reports of the total number of survivors pulled free on Monday morning ranged from 13 to dozens.

    Eyes covered

    The first survivor was brought to the surface shortly after midnight on Monday (1400GMT on Sunday).

    A crowd of people outside the entrance of the mine clapped as the nine miners were carried out one by one.

    The workers were gently placed into waiting ambulances and their eyes covered to prevent damage from the light after spending about a week in darkness.

    Their blood pressure and heart rates were said to be normal, the Xinhua news agency reported.

    One of the survivors, Li Guoyu, 38, from Henan province in central China, was quoted by the Xinhua news agency as saying the miners had gone without water because they were worried about drinking the dirty liquid flowing in the tunnel.

    The BBC's Damian Grammaticas in Beijing says television reports spoke of the survivors attaching themselves by belts to the wall of the mine as waters rushed in.

    They hung there for three days until a mine cart drifted by and they got in.

    Another man said they had nothing to drink because the water was filthy and black
    Despite the late hour, thousands of people who were lining the roads burst into applause when the ambulances carrying the survivors passed by.

    Thousands of rescuers had been helping to pump water from the mine, which had been under construction. Water levels in the pit had dropped 10 metres (30ft) by Sunday, officials said.

    Hopes rose on Friday when rescuers heard what sounded like people banging on pipes from within the mine.

    Leaks 'ignored'

    More than 100 people managed to escape the flood last Sunday at the pit, but more than 150 were trapped. Families say this was an underestimate as many more were working in the mine at the time.



    In pictures: China rescue

    Earlier this week, a preliminary investigation found that officials had ignored water leaks prior to the accident.

    China, which relies heavily on coal to fuel its economy, has some of the most dangerous mines in the world.

    Most mining accidents in China are blamed on failures to follow safety rules.

    The government has stepped up efforts to improve safety in the mining industry in recent years, by enforcing regulations and taking measures to close unregulated mines.

    According to official figures, 2,631 coal miners died in 1,616 mine accidents in China in 2009, down 18% from the previous year.





  2. #2
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    Presume the surviving ones ate the others to live.

  3. #3
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    It's like getting excited over a few ants not drowning when the rains come.

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