Trapped Chinese miners send a desperate note for help

Beijing – At least 12 prospectors trapped hundreds of meters underground in China for over a week have sent a note warning they are injured, surrounded by water and in urgent need of medicine. Twenty-two workers were trapped more than 600 meters from the mine entrance after an explosion eight days ago near the town of Qixia in eastern Shandong province.

After days without any sign of life, rescue workers heard knocking noises on Sunday afternoon as they pierced the mine shaft.

A note was sent on a line from the depths below stating that at least a dozen of the miners are still alive, but they urgently needed help as their health was deteriorating.

“We urgently need drugs, pain killers, medical tape, external anti-inflammatory drugs, and three people have high blood pressure,” the note said.

The condition of the other ten workers is unknown.

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

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

The note’s writer asked emergency responders to send some medication from his car and warned that there was a large amount of underground water where the miners are trapped.

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

Footage from state broadcaster CCTV showed rescuers cheering when the knocking sound was detected and later rushing to read the note taped to a line with a pneumatic drill.

“Race against the clock“

The video showed rescuers sending food and drink to the miners on a wire through a small opening.

The hope of a miracle rescue after an ordeal of days caused an outpouring of sympathy and encouragement on Chinese social media.

The hashtag “Qixia gold mine incident” was viewed 130 million times on the popular social media site Weibo.

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

Some rescuers wore fur hats to keep out the cold, while others appeared to be covered in dust and dirt from the rescue operation.

Rescue workers plan to drill multiple tunnels in the mine to both vent air and provide supplies, CCTV said, as work continues to get the men back to safety.

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

“We have to win the race,” he said at a press conference on Friday.

The explosion severely damaged the mine’s communications system and exit ladder, which is owned by Shandong Wucailong Investment Co. Ltd.

Two officials have already been fired over the accident, while the county has opened an investigation into the cause of the explosion.

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

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