Society

9 miners trapped in coal mine cave-in rescued

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-10-15 23:52

NANCHANG—The nine miners trapped underground after a coal mine in east China's Jiangxi province caved in were all saved Friday night, after 24 hours of rescue, local officials said.

Rescuers found the miners after digging through a 60-meter-long collapsed underground tunnel on Friday afternoon. The miners were lifted out of the pit one after another by 7:30 p.m., officials with the provincial work safety watchdog said.

The miners were trapped at Xingwang Coal Mine in Qianshan county after a cave-in Thursday night.

Local work safety officials said the mine was asked to be shut down in 2008 for its limited output amid the national campaign to close small coal mines for safety and environmental concerns.

Authorities are probing the cause of the cave-in.