Rescuers are still pumping water from a coal shaft in the search
for six miners trapped in a flooded northeast China colliery since
Tuesday.
Investigators said 11 miners were trapped when the flooding
occurred Tuesday afternoon at the Fusheng Coal Mine in Boli County,
Heilongjiang Province, two more than previous
reports of nine.
One miner managed to escape the flooded pit and was in good
health, according to rescuers. Another four were rescued Wednesday.
The four miners have been discharged from hospital after medical
observation.
The trapped miners still had a chance of survival, according to
rescuers.
The privately-run Fusheng Coal Mine has a designed annual
capacity of 60,000 tons. The cause of the flooding is being
investigated.
China's coal mines suffer frequent flooding, explosions and
cave-ins largely due to lax safety management, killing around 6,000
people each year.
(Xinhua News Agency December 14, 2006)