11 out of 22 miners trapped in a gold mine of eastern China have been rescued. Tv footage shos the rescued individual blindfolded to protect his eyes from the light as he was being lifted out. The rescue team could be heard cheering. On January 10, 22 people were trapped underground when an explosion blocked their exit points.
Chinese news media reported that the first miner was rescued on Sunday at 11:13 am. He was in a physically fragile position. 10 more workers were lifted from a deeper section of the mine. One of them is injured, but we do not know how seriously. According to state media, one worker has died.
Authorities have said that some of the miners were in contact because rescue workers drilled a 600m telephone line reported by Xinhua. Rescue teams are expecting to pull the miners out by drilling a passage of 711 millimetres. The Chinese official said it would take 15 days to take out miners from 70 tons of debris.
The trapped miners were able to send a note to the rescue team stating that we are exhausted and urgently need pain killers, medical tape and external inflammatory drugs. Some of the trapped had high blood pressure too.
Food, blankets and medical supplies have been passed down through a shaft to the workers who were located. Small channels have been drilled to provide nutrient solutions. Other means of detecting human breath or movement such as laser pointers and loudspeakers have been used, but no human life has been found. The concern is about those ten miners who haven’t been contacted yet.
China’s history of Mine Accidents
Such mining accidents are prevalent in China due to the lack of safety measures and precautions. Last year in December 23 people died after a carbon monoxide gas leak in a coal mine. Similarly, in December 2019, 14 people have killed in an explosion at a coal mine in Guizhou province. It is high time now that the Chinese government make sure to value the life of its citizens.
