QIXIA (CHINA) – In an effort to reach trapped gold miners rescuers in China were drilling new shafts on Thursday. The miners have been trapped for the past 11 days due to an explosion.
A total of 22 workers were trapped in the Hushan gold mine on the outskirts of Yantai, a major gold producing region in Shandong province on the northeast coast. One miner is known to have died of injuries sustained in the initial blast, state media reported on Wednesday.
Rescuers were successful in contacting 11 miners trapped in the middle section of the mine, about 350 metres underground. They have also managed to send food and medical supplies down to them.
One borehole had to be sealed up with cement after a water leak threatened the miners’ safety. On a foggy Thursday morning, the road leading to the mine was sealed off by police to ensure rescue efforts were not hampered.
The local government said on its official social media feed on Thursday that rescuers had started drilling a 10th channel with a 711-mm (28 inches) diameter that they hope will allow the 11 to be extracted.
