Chinese rescuers race to save 22 trapped by gold mine blast
- State media criticise mine owner for taking more than a day to ask for help from emergency authorities
- Condition of workers at site in Qixia not known
More than 20 workers are still trapped hundreds of metres underground three days after an explosion at a gold mine in eastern China, state media reported on Wednesday.
A blast erupted on Sunday afternoon at the Hushan mine in Qixia, Shandong province, burying 22 people working below the surface, but the authorities were only notified 30 hours later when the mine owner asked for help with the rescue operation.
Rescuers were still racing to save the workers on Wednesday, but the condition of those trapped was not known because of damage to the mine’s communications system, China National Radio reported.
As well as clearing the shaft, rescuers have been digging two new ones nearby but they are expected to take up to five days to reach the depth of the trapped workers.
The blast occurred in a shaft around 240 metres (790 feet) underground at around 2pm.