Blocked Chinese miners demand porridge and pickles while the rescue operation continues

Beijing – It will soon be the tenth day of a meticulously slow mine rescue operation in eastern China’s Shandong Province. State media say 22 workers were trapped more than 2,000 meters underground after an explosion damaged the access tree to the gold mine on January 10th.

Rescue efforts have continued since then, with workers drilling a series of small holes deep in the ground to reach the trapped miners. So far they have sent at least three rounds of food and medicine.

He also allowed rescuers to communicate with the trapped men – first through handwritten notes and now through a telephone line. After a urgent, initial application for medicines and analgesics, the miners on Tuesday demanded that porridge and pickles be sent.

A note released on Sunday confirmed that 12 miners were alive at the time – 11 of them together, but one remained about 150 feet below the group. They said they suffer from toxic fumes and rising water levels.

The fate of the other 10 miners was still unclear on Tuesday. Rescuers struck the drill pipe leading to them early Monday, but there was no response.

Drilling works for food and medicine, but is only one foot wide, so they are not helpful in bringing the trapped miners back to the surface.

The wider rescue trees are drilled, but as of Tuesday the main tree remained the only way in or out, and officials said the stability of that passage could not yet be verified.