Rescue workers strive to save trapped miners in Xinjiang

URUMQI -- Over 3,900 rescuers, including professionals in fire-fighting, drilling, emergency response and medical treatment, are trying their utmost to rescue the 21 workers trapped in a flooded coal mine in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Rescue efforts have been focused on removing water from the well and blocking water-penetration points. While rescuers have basically located the miners at approximately 1,200 meters underground, they have so far failed to get in touch with them.

The accident occurred at 6:10 pm on April 10, when 29 workers were upgrading the coal mine in Hutubi County, in the Hui autonomous prefecture of Changji. Eight miners have been rescued so far.

Yang Xiaoyuan, who was working at about 200 meters underground, is one of those rescued.

"A strong airflow carrying a large amount of steam and dust suddenly appeared in the tunnel and there was a pungent smell in the air," Yang recalled. "Then the underground power was cut off. The wind was so strong that it even rasped my face. I realized that there must be something wrong and immediately ran up. The water rose very fast and at one point came up to my waist."

"All the workers on duty are our employees," noted Dai Dongsheng, executive director of China Coal No.5 Construction Company Limited, a subsidiary to China National Coal Group Corporation. "One is a Xinjiang native, while the others mainly come from the provinces of Henan, Gansu, Anhui and Jiangsu. They are possibly spread in three areas, based on the work they were undertaking at the time of the accident."

According to Nan Shenghui, head of the headquarters in charge of the rescue work, nine sets of drainage equipment are pumping out water around the clock and new equipment will be put into operation when the water level changes and the underground space has expanded.

The rescue efforts have been hampered as the underground passage is very narrow -- only about 3 meters in width -- and the hydrogeological environment is complex, thus requiring very precise drilling.

The winding dirt roads to the coal mine have also slowed the heavy vehicles used for transporting professional construction equipment, which has further complicated the relief work. Rescue workers sometimes have to carry the equipment and water pipelines to the drilling sites on foot.

Two of the seven preset drill holes, with an average depth of over 300 meters, have been opened. Emergency crews are working hard to dig the other holes.