BAOTAI , China, Dec. 30 (UPI) — Eight miners trapped underground for five days after a gypsum mine collapse in Pingyi county, China, are alive, state media reported Wednesday.
A rock fall in the mine Friday — so violent China’s earthquake monitoring center registered it as a 4.0-magnitude earthquake — trapped 25 miners, seven of whom were rescued and nine of whom remain missing. One person was confirmed dead.
The eight survivors are 720 feet underground and in contact with rescuers on the surface. A newly drilled relief hole brought food, an intercom, infrared camera and other provisions to the survivors. State media said the miners are weak from hunger but otherwise in good physical condition.
“Underground, there is limestone, shale, sandstone, karst caves [a landscape of soluble rock], and seeping water. The terrain there is changing constantly. This makes rescue operations more difficult,” said Ma Kun, mayor of Linyi, a Pingyi county city.
The mine is part of the Yurong Trade Company, the owner of which, Ma Congbo, drowned himself Sunday by jumping into a mine well. Four county-level officials were fired Tuesday. Although Ma’s motive remains unknown, China has recently strengthened punishments against employers regarded as negligent to safety concerns.
