After 11 miners were rescued alive earlier this week, rescuers made a dismal discovery at the bottom of a collapsed shaft • One miner is still missing
Miner alive rescued from mine in Shandong // Photo: AP
Rescuers in Shandong Province, China, today (Tuesday) found the bodies of nine miners trapped in a mine following a landslide that occurred more than two weeks ago.
Rescuers hoped to find the trapped miners alive, after earlier this week 11 of their friends were rescued in the mine, exhausted and injured, but alive.
The rescue team is now searching for the body of the last missing miner left in the mine, and by all indications, he was also killed.
The head of the rescue team, Chan Yu-min, said: "Until we find the body of the last miner we will not stop the search."
The mine disaster occurred on January 10, when two explosions, the origin of which is still unknown, occurred in the mine.
Immediately after the explosions, which dumped 70 tons of mining waste on the entrance to the mine, Chinese authorities estimated that some of the miners alive and special rescue teams were brought to the area.
Rescue crews began drilling shafts deep into the mine and after multiple efforts, were able to contact several miners who were alive.
The team transferred medical equipment and food to the trapped miners.
Yesterday, the special rescue operation reached its climax when 11 miners were rescued alive from the mine.
Chao Fei, the mayor where the mine operates, said: "We are determined to rescue the last body as well. Our hearts go out to the families of those killed."
During the press conference, the mayor and rescue crews observed a minute of silence in honor of the miners killed in the incident.
The head of the rescue team described what happened in the mine: "There were two explosions, one less fatal but an hour and a half later another deadly explosion occurred in which the people died."
Chinese authorities arrested the mine managers for questioning on suspicion of delaying the delivery of the report of the disaster.
The Chinese media, which is subject to severe censorship by the Beijing authorities, claim that the authorities have recently made great efforts to improve safety conditions in the various mines in the country and prosecute suspected violations of safety regulations.
The current mine disaster is the third in recent months, after 39 miners died in two disasters in another province in China.
