Beijing, April 09: The death toll in China’s latest mine accident rose to 25 after two more bodies were found by rescuers, who earlier this week pulled out a miracle, saving 115 miners after a week of entrapment.
Hopes of finding the remaining 38 miners alive faded as rescuers found the bodies of 25 miners from sections of the flooded mine where chances of survival was considered remote.
The death toll in the flooded Wangjialing Coal Mine in north China’s Shanxi Province, which was flooded nearly two weeks ago, rose to 25 as rescuers found bodies of two miners, rescue headquarters said.
Rescuers are still searching for another 13 persons who are unaccounted for, Xinhua news agency quoted an official at the headquarters as saying.
As of late yesterday, about 240,000 cubic meters of water had been pumped out, much more than the presumed 130,000 cubic meters.
Seven of nine working sections had been ruled out for any survivors and the targeted areas were narrowed down to two sections, he said.
A total of 261 miners were working below ground when the mine was flooded on March 28.
Some 108 miners escaped unharmed while 153 were trapped underground.
On Monday, 115 miners were brought out of the mine alive after being trapped for more than a week.
Rescue operations were resumed after a short suspension because suspected leakage from an adjacent abandoned mine prompted flooding fears and an evacuation of the rescuers.
Hundreds of rescuers evacuated when the shaft ceiling began to leak yesterday morning. The leakage however stopped by afternoon, officials said.
Meanwhile, some of the survivors who were being treated in hospitals telephoned their family members, Hong Yu, deputy manager of China National Coal Group Corp said.
All victims would be compensated, Hong said.
–PTI