Trapped Chinese miners send a desperate note asking for help

Beijing – At least 12 gold miners trapped hundreds of yards underground in China for more than a week have sent a note warning that they are injured, surrounded by water and in need of medication urgently. Twenty-two workers were trapped more than 650 yards from the mine entrance after an explosion eight days ago near the city of Qixia in eastern Shandong Province.

After days with no sign of life, lifeguards heard ringing sounds Sunday afternoon as they drilled the mine shaft.

A note was sent in a line from the lower depths saying that at least a dozen miners are still alive, but that they urgently needed help as their health deteriorates.

“We urgently need medications, painkillers, medical tape, external anti-inflammatory drugs and three people have high blood pressure,” the note read.

The condition of the other ten workers is unknown.

Four people were injured, according to the note, which was wrinkled, stained with water and scribbled with pencil on the torn pages of a notebook.

“We hope rescuers don’t stop so we still have hope. Thank you,” the note said.

The writer of the note asked lifeguards to send some medication from his car and warned that there was a lot of groundwater where the miners are trapped.

Lifeguards were later able to speak with some of the trapped workers after dropping a phone line at the mine, local officials said at a news conference Monday, without giving details of what was said.

Images from state broadcaster CCTV showed rescue workers applauding as the sound they were playing was detected and they later rushed to read the note which was recorded on a sunken line below by a pneumatic drill.

“Race against time“

The video showed lifeguards sending food and drinks connected to a cable through a small opening to the miners.

Hopes for a miraculous rescue after a hard test of days sparked an outpouring of sympathy and encouragement on Chinese social media.

The “Qixia Gold Mine Incident” tag was seen 130 million times on the popular social networking site Weibo.

“I saw the note as I watched the morning news and burst into tears,” one Weibo user wrote. “I hope they will rescue the trapped workers as soon as possible.”

Some rescue workers wore leather hats to prevent the cold, while others appeared covered in dust and dirt from the rescue operation.

Lifeguards intend to drill several tunnels in the mine to ventilate the air and supply supplies, CCTV said, while work continues to bring the men back to safety.

Chen Fei, a senior city official, said the mission was a “race against time.”

“We have to win the race,” he told a news conference Friday.

The blast severely damaged the mine’s communications system and exit staircase, owned by Shandong Wucailong Investment Co. Ltd.

Two officials have already been fired for the crash, while provincial authorities have opened an investigation into the causes of the blast.

Mining accidents are common in China, where the industry has a poor safety record and regulations are often poorly enforced.

In December, 23 workers died after being trapped underground in the southwestern city of Chongqing, a few months after another 16 died from carbon monoxide poisoning after being trapped underground in another coal mine in Chongqing. city.