Death toll rises to 25 in Wangjialing coal mine
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The death toll in the flooded Wangjialing Coal Mine in north China's Shanxi Province rose to 25 Friday as another two miners were found dead by rescuers, rescue headquarters said.
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About 260,000 cubic meters of water had been pumped out by Friday, two times more than expected, and rescuers were focusing on two sections where the 13 were believed trapped, Liu Dezheng, spokesman of the rescue operation, told a press conference.
But the rescue was difficult as the water level had not dropped quickly enough and it was adjacent to a disused shaft full of water and toxic gas, he said.
Rescuers believed the disused shaft had caused the initial flood when broken into by workers.
A total of 261 miners were working below ground when the mine was flooded on March 28, and 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. They are receiving medical care in five hospitals in Hejin and Taiyuan Cities, Liu said.
All the 26 miners in Shanxi Aluminum Plant Hospital are allowed by doctors to be visited by their family members.
A few workers told Xinhua that they are even gaining weight after more than a week of starvation.
"I feel better and better, more energetic today and I want to get off bed," said Liu Mingcai from Hunan, who lost ten kilograms when trapped underground.
Another survivor Peng Guangzhong said "I feel much safer and is no longer afraid. Oh, life is good."
The rescue headquarters received nearly four million yuan (586,000 U.S. dollars) in donations and "countless" materials.
Li Guangfei, a 41-year-old farmer from neighboring Shaanxi Province, drove his truck for more than 20 hours with his wife to donate 10,000 yuan, about 10 percent of their annual income earned from growing potatoes and vegetables and transporting coal.
"I hope the money can help tired rescuers buy some milk," he said.
His feeling was shared by Sun Yali, who sold pork near the mine. She brought 10 pigs to the site, hoping the rescuers could enjoy the meat after 12 days of round-the-clock work.
Volunteers are also busy helping the rescue.
Zhang Huajie, 29, a shop owner, has been helping out wherever he can and has donated goods worth of more than 10,000 yuan.
"My personal strength is weak, but I share the common mission of rescuing the trapped," he said.
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