(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-08-24 22:27

Last Friday, flood water swept through a 65-meter wide breach in the Wenhe River levee, inundating the Huayuan and Minggong mines, leaving 181 people trapped underground.

Chinese water resources specialists blamed the disaster largely on heavy rain and inadequate flood prevention facilities.

Apart from the rescue work, consolation work was also underway for the families of the trapped workers. The tragedy had a heavy blow on the company's community, and one out of every 50 families has someone trapped down the pit.

Sixty family members had been hospitalized with high blood pressure or heart problems, said Huangpu Tinghua, deputy general manager of Huayuan Mining Co. Ltd.

The company had sent 545 employees to counsel the families of the victims after the accident. The government of Tai'an City also sent 134 medical staff to take care of the families.

"We are keeping close eyes on their families, especially those who have fallen ill. We can't have any more casualties from the families now," said Huang Longhua, a local official of Tai'an City and head of the consolation work team.

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