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Rescuers revise death toll from coal mine flood

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-07-23 11:42

BAISE, Guangxi -- Rescuers have recovered the bodies of seven, not six as they reported on Tuesday, of the 36 trapped miners in the flooded Nadu Mine in south China.

Huang Yi, spokesman for the State Administration of Work Safety, said the chaos of the rescue operation had led to the miscalculation in the death toll.

The operation had reached a critical period, said Huang, as heavy rains were forecast around Baise, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, where the mine is located, over the next two days, increasing the difficulties for rescuers.

Back-up rescuers wait outside a coal mine in Tiandong county, the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, as their frontline colleagues struggle to save 49 workers trapped underground July 22 2008. [Asianewsphoto]

Huang said the flooding in the mine actually started at 1:15 p.m. on Monday, rather than 3:15 p.m. as reported previously, trapping 57 miners.

Twenty-one miners escaped or were rescued, but 29 remain trapped near the workface known as 4301.

A rescue headquarters has been set up at the site, with Zhao Tiechui, head of the State Administration of Coal Mine Safety in charge and Yang Daoxi, vice chairman of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, as deputy.

Zhao emphasized the importance of preventing secondary disasters such as gas explosions.

The rescuers had been trying to accelerate the pumping of water from the mine shaft, and to increase ventilation and dredge mud washed into the mine shaft to prevent it blocking tunnels.

In the meantime, some hydrological experts have been studying the situation to determine whether the source of the flooded water was connected to Youjiang River, an important waterway in south China.

The mine has estimated reserves of 2.98 million tonnes of coal and can produce 190,000 tonnes annually. It is owned by the Youjiang Mining Bureau in Baise, which began mining in 2003. It is fully certified.