19 miners saved from flooded illegal pitshaft

Nineteen coal miners were pulled to safety yesterday after being trapped underground for a week in north-eastern China. Three are still missing.

Twenty-six miners were trapped when water poured into a shaft on 23 August from a flooded neighbouring mine. Three were pulled out alive on Saturday and one body was recovered.

The latest rescues began early, yesterday with teams bringing up each man on a stretcher.

Wang Xiankui, governor of Heilongjiang province, where the Hengtai mine is located, greeted each of the 19 miners. “We are doing everything we can to save your colleagues,” he said.

The survivors were able to keep their helmet lamps operating for the 165 hours they were trapped, drank water that dripped from the ceiling and ate nutrition packs sent down through a 920ft pipe drilled to provide air. The mine had been ordered shut in 2007 but was reopened on 16 August illegally.