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New channel drilled in rescue for trapped mine workers in east China
January 18, 2021
JINAN, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- A new channel has been drilled to rescue the workers trapped by a gold mine blast in east China's Shandong Province, authorities said early Monday.
The channel, drilled through at around 5 a.m., reaches a section 698 meters from the mine entrance. It came after another channel was drilled Sunday at a section 648 meters from the entrance.
Rescuers knocked on the drilling pipe, but have not yet received responses, according to the rescue headquarters.
The blast took place at 2 p.m. on Jan. 10 at the gold mine in Qixia under Yantai City. It happened about 240 meters away from the entrance. Twenty-two workers were working more than 600 meters away from there.
On late Sunday, a paper slip retrieved from underneath the mine through the previously drilled channel said that 12 workers were still alive while the other 10 were in unclear situations. ■