Death toll from south China coal mine collapse rises to 11

Source:Led b2b   Date:2011-7-25  close   Printing

NANNING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Rescuers in south China`s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region retrieved bodies of two miners on Friday, bringing the death toll from a coal mine collapse in early July to 11, according to the rescue headquarters.

The bodies were found around noon in a tunnel of the pit. Rescuers were still searching for nine others still trapped, said a spokesman with the headquarters.

On July 2, the collapse, which occurred in the coal mine operated by the Guangxi Heshan Coal Mining Company in the City of Laibin, left 22 miners trapped underground.

Two miners, Liu Jiagan, 41, and Qin Hongdang, 35, were rescued 188 hours after being trapped. They told rescuers that they survived by drinking spring water that had seeped through the top of the mine shaft.