Home

Escape route prepared for China miners

AAP
A total of 22 workers were trapped underground in the Hushan goldmine on the outskirts of Yantai.
Camera IconA total of 22 workers were trapped underground in the Hushan goldmine on the outskirts of Yantai.

Rescue teams have drilled new holes down a goldmine in China's Shandong province, searching for more survivors after an explosion 10 days ago and preparing an escape passage for a group known to still be alive, state media reports.

A total of 22 workers were trapped underground in the Hushan goldmine on the outskirts of Yantai, on China's eastern coast, following the January 10 blast. Rescuers have managed to deliver supplies to 11 workers.

One of the workers, who was in a coma after sustaining a head injury during the explosion, was declared dead after the miner no longer showed any vital signs, Xinhua reported on Thursday.

Medical personnel had sent medicines to the miners and instructed them to offer treatment but his condition did not improve, it said.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

Eight others were in good health, while two were unwell, Shandong's official Qilu Daily newspaper said, citing the rescue headquarters.

One more worker who survived is in another section of the mine and believed to be injured, while the whereabouts of the remaining 10 are unclear, it said.

China has deployed 16 professional rescue teams and dozens of medical personnel to try to save the miners.

The operation involves drilling 10 channels, with one 71-centimetre wide hole - intended to serve as an escape route - wide enough to lift out the miners, the People's Daily said. Rescuers could not say when that hole would be finished but admitted they were in a race against time.

A ventilation shaft that rescuers also want to use to pull the miners to safety had been cleared to a depth of 350 metres, the report said. The miners were working at a depth of more than 600m at the time of the explosion.

A channel previously used to send down supplies has been replaced because water inside was posing a threat to those underground, while another hole was being drilled to search for more signs of life, Beijing Evening News reported.

Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.

Sign up for our emails