Xinhua News Agency reports that the note confirms that 12 of the miners were still alive after the January 10 explosion in Qixia City, Shandong Province. Four are said to be injured, while the fate of another 10 is unknown.
The workers wrote that they were full of hope, according to Xinhua, but that they needed medical supplies.
Xinhua quoted the note as saying, “We are very exhausted and urgently need stomach medicines, painkillers, medical tape, external anti-inflammatory drugs and three people have high blood pressure.”
Rescue efforts have been underway since the blast occurred about 800 meters from the mine entrance, trapping 22 workers about 2000 meters underground, the agency reported.
Rescue workers are said to have first heard sounds from those trapped on Sunday, then fired iron ropes.