Society

28 bodies recovered, 3 still missing in mine

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-05-02 21:48

HOHHOT - Rescuers had recovered 28 bodies as of Sunday from a mine that flooded, killing 32 workers, in March in north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Early on Sunday, 15 bodies were lifted out of the shaft, leaving three still missing in the Luotuoshan Coal Mine, owned by Wuhai Energy Co Ltd, according to the rescue headquarters.

Rescuers had been working more than a month to drain the flooded mine by filling it with about 8,000 cubic meters of rubble, water-glass and cement, said Xu Yongfeng, deputy general manager of Wuhai Energy.

They had pumped more than 1.3 million cubic meters of water out of the mine, and reduced the water flowing into the mine to 300 cubic meters per hour from 70,000 cubic meters per hour, Xu said.

From April 14 to 27, rescuers recovered 13 bodies, Xu said.

The bodies were identified through DNA tests and according to the coding on their belts. Each bereaved family would receive 250,000 yuan ($36,616) in compensation, he said.

The rescue work, the country's largest coal mine rescue mobilization, took 14 days and involved 40 professional rescue teams comprising 20,384 people, said Lan Yi, spokesman of the rescue headquarters.

Lan declared the rescue efforts ended on March 14, as no signs of life had been detected during the two-week operation.

Water gushed into the pit on March 1, when 77 miners were working underground. Forty-six were lifted to safety, but one died during first aid treatment at the site.