Water, gas thwart rescuers in bid to reach remaining miners
By Gillian Wong |
April 7, 2010, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
DEEP water and pungent gas yesterday kept rescuers from reaching 32 miners still trapped in a flooded north China coal pit.
However, the recovery of six bodies dimmed hopes of another miracle after 115 survivors were pulled out on Monday after more than a week underground.
Toxic gas was also seeping into the Wangjialing Coal Mine in Shanxi Province as rescue work stretched into its 10th day.
Rescue headquarters' spokesman Liu Dezheng said gas was at a dangerous level.
"I can only say that we are exerting all efforts," Liu said when asked if he was hopeful for the survival of the remaining miners.
So far, there had not been any new signs of life from those still trapped, he said.
The death toll rose to six after another body was found yesterday afternoon, Xinhua news agency said.
On Monday night, five bodies were recovered from the flooded shaft.
Rescuers are taking precautions to prevent explosions and improve ventilation in the mine.
Liu did not refer to a specific gas, but coal seams release large amounts of methane, which is highly combustible, and other dangerous gases.
The trapped workers were in three different spots in the shafts that were so far inaccessible because of flooding, China Central Television reported yesterday.
Pumping was hindered because of the narrowness of some parts of the underground passages, where large machines won't fit, Liu said.
The grim outlook came after a dramatic breakthrough in the rescue effort on Monday. The 115 rescued miners survived for eight days underground by eating sawdust, and strapping themselves to the walls of the shafts with their belts to avoid drowning while they slept.
Later, some clambered into a mining cart that floated by.
CCTV interviewed a miner who sent up the first signs of life last week by tying an iron wire to a drill rod.
"I wanted to send a signal to people above ground," Gong Changzhong told CCTV from his hospital bed. "When we heard the sound of drilling coming from above, we were really excited. I said, 'They must be trying to save us.' So I took the wire and tied it to a box, maybe it fell off. It had a message telling them to send a phone down so we could talk to them."
A total of 153 miners had been trapped since March 28 when workers digging tunnels broke into a water-filled abandoned shaft.
Many survivors were still too weak to talk at length, said Dr Zhang Jianying at the Employees' Hospital of the Shanxi Aluminum Plant.
Their eyes were still covered to protect them from the light and so far relatives were not permitted to visit.
Sixty survivors were taken yesterday to hospitals in the provincial capital of Taiyuan on a specially chartered train so they could receive more specialized medical care.
Monday's rescues ended days of anxiety for many families.
"For the past eight days, I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep. I was so worried," said Tang Aiming, 48, also a miner, whose brothers Aijun, 39, and Aichun, 46, were pulled out on Monday.
"I thought there was no hope because they were stuck in there for such a long time.
"We didn't believe they were all right at first until, unbelievably, we heard Aijun's voice on the telephone. The first thing he said was: 'I am safe now. It's all right'."
However, the recovery of six bodies dimmed hopes of another miracle after 115 survivors were pulled out on Monday after more than a week underground.
Toxic gas was also seeping into the Wangjialing Coal Mine in Shanxi Province as rescue work stretched into its 10th day.
Rescue headquarters' spokesman Liu Dezheng said gas was at a dangerous level.
"I can only say that we are exerting all efforts," Liu said when asked if he was hopeful for the survival of the remaining miners.
So far, there had not been any new signs of life from those still trapped, he said.
The death toll rose to six after another body was found yesterday afternoon, Xinhua news agency said.
On Monday night, five bodies were recovered from the flooded shaft.
Rescuers are taking precautions to prevent explosions and improve ventilation in the mine.
Liu did not refer to a specific gas, but coal seams release large amounts of methane, which is highly combustible, and other dangerous gases.
The trapped workers were in three different spots in the shafts that were so far inaccessible because of flooding, China Central Television reported yesterday.
Pumping was hindered because of the narrowness of some parts of the underground passages, where large machines won't fit, Liu said.
The grim outlook came after a dramatic breakthrough in the rescue effort on Monday. The 115 rescued miners survived for eight days underground by eating sawdust, and strapping themselves to the walls of the shafts with their belts to avoid drowning while they slept.
Later, some clambered into a mining cart that floated by.
CCTV interviewed a miner who sent up the first signs of life last week by tying an iron wire to a drill rod.
"I wanted to send a signal to people above ground," Gong Changzhong told CCTV from his hospital bed. "When we heard the sound of drilling coming from above, we were really excited. I said, 'They must be trying to save us.' So I took the wire and tied it to a box, maybe it fell off. It had a message telling them to send a phone down so we could talk to them."
A total of 153 miners had been trapped since March 28 when workers digging tunnels broke into a water-filled abandoned shaft.
Many survivors were still too weak to talk at length, said Dr Zhang Jianying at the Employees' Hospital of the Shanxi Aluminum Plant.
Their eyes were still covered to protect them from the light and so far relatives were not permitted to visit.
Sixty survivors were taken yesterday to hospitals in the provincial capital of Taiyuan on a specially chartered train so they could receive more specialized medical care.
Monday's rescues ended days of anxiety for many families.
"For the past eight days, I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep. I was so worried," said Tang Aiming, 48, also a miner, whose brothers Aijun, 39, and Aichun, 46, were pulled out on Monday.
"I thought there was no hope because they were stuck in there for such a long time.
"We didn't believe they were all right at first until, unbelievably, we heard Aijun's voice on the telephone. The first thing he said was: 'I am safe now. It's all right'."
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