Following days of pumping water levels in a flooded coal mine in
north China where 57 miners are thought to be trapped underground
have started to fall, rescuers said Tuesday.
By 6 PM Tuesday approximately 4,600 cubic meters of water had
been pumped out of the mine and water levels had started to fall,
said Wang Zhonghu, a rescuer in charge of installing the pumps.
More such machines are being brought in to speed up the
operation.
The flooding occurred at 8:30 PM last Thursday at Xinjing Coal
Mine in Zuoyun County, northern?Shanxi. Latest information indicates
that 57 miners remain trapped underground while 101 escaped to
safety.
So far eight mine employees suspected of being responsible for
the flooding have been detained, police said. They're still
searching for a number of other mine personnel who may have been
involved.?
Li Yizhong, director of the State Administration of Work Safety,
blamed excessive production and poor management at the mine for the
flooding.
(Xinhua News Agency May 24, 2006)