11 Miners Rescued 14 Days After Gold Mine Explosion in China

UPDATE (Monday January 25, 2021 5.40pm CST): Ten of the workers trapped underground have been confirmed dead, according to a news conference held in Qicia, Yantai on Monday. The search is still on for the last remaining worker.

Eleven miners have been rescued following an explosion at a gold mine in Qixia, part of Yantai city in Shandong province. Another 11 miners remain missing, one of whom is believed to have died. 

The mine was still under construction when the explosion occurred on Sunday, January 10, trapping the 22 miners underground. Rescuers received two notes on January 17 and January 19, respectively, confirming that some of the miners were still alive.

The rescue effort has so far involved 633 rescuers, 407 machines, 25 ambulances and more than 80 medical staff, according to China Daily. While the blast occurred at around 2pm on January 10, it was not reported to emergency services until 8pm the following day. 

The delay in reporting led to the dismissal of Qixia party secretary Yao Xiuxia and Qixia city mayor Zhu Tao from their respective posts.

Rescue efforts are ongoing, as of press time. The cause of the blast remains unknown.

[Cover image via Xinhua]