On Sunday, Chinese rescuers safely placed 11 workers who were trapped at 2,000 feet in a gold mine for 14 days – with 10 others still lost and at least one dead.
Hundreds of rescue workers and officers applauded when the 11 survivors were dragged one by one in baskets from the mine in Qixia on Sunday afternoon.
The rescued men protected their eyes from the sun after so many days in the darkness. Many joined hands in thanks, while some seemed too weak to stand.
In this photo released by the Xinhua News Agency, rescue workers carry a miner who was trapped in a gold mine in the city of Qixia, in eastern China’s Shandong province, on Sunday, January 24, 2021. Rescuers in China on Sunday they took several miners trapped to the surface. they were held for two weeks after an explosion at a northern gold mine, state media reported. (Luan Qincheng / Xinhua via AP)
The men – who received liquid food sent through a makeshift pit while they were underground – were covered in coats amid freezing temperatures and placed in ambulances.
They have been half of the 22 arrested since January 10, when an explosion displaced about 70 tons of debris, blocking the well, disabling elevators and trapping workers at least 2,000 feet underground.
At least one of the miners died of a head injury in the blast, while the other 10 remain missing, officials said.
One of the ten appears to be stuck alone at about 100 meters deep, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), citing state media. So far, rescuers have been unable to contact him.
In this photo released by the Xinhua News Agency, rescue workers carry a miner who was trapped in a gold mine in the city of Qixia, in eastern China’s Shandong province, on Sunday, January 24, 2021. Rescuers in China on Sunday they took several miners trapped to the surface. they were held for two weeks after an explosion at a northern gold mine, state media reported. (Luan Qincheng / Xinhua via AP)
They have not yet located the other 9 missing miners and hopes of rescuing them alive are rapidly diminishing, the report said.
More than 600 rescue workers are working at the site of the explosion, which remains under investigation, officials said.
Hina’s mines are among the most deadly in the world, and have already averaged 5,000 deaths a year. Even after a series of safety improvements, there were still 573 mine-related deaths in 2020, according to the National Mine Safety Administration.
Sunday’s rescue was reminiscent of the 2010 mission, when 33 miners were removed from a copper and gold mine in Chile, where they were held for more than 69 days.
The Chilean miners, who were caught in a collapse, survived on rations of food and water for 17 days, until rescue workers gave them a life guard by opening a small hole in the chamber where they took refuge.
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Weeks later, a larger hole was drilled and the miners were pulled to the surface while a captivated global audience watched.