Workers trapped in Chinese mine confirm 12 out of 22 are alive

Twelve out of 22 workers trapped for a week by an explosion in a gold mine are alive, Chinese state media said, as hundreds of rescuers seek to bring them to safety.

The fate of the other 10 workers remains unknown, according to a note passed through a rescue shaft on Sunday night, Xinhua News Agency said on Monday.

The handwritten note said four of the workers were injured and the condition of others was deteriorating because of a lack of fresh air and an influx of water.

The mine in Qixia, a jurisdiction under the city of Yantai in Shandong province, had been under construction at the time of the blast, which happened on January 10th.

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Hope

More than 300 workers are seeking to clear obstructions while drilling a new shaft to reach the chambers where the workers were trapped and expel dangerous fumes.

“Keep on with the rescue efforts. We have hope, thank you,” read the note, written in pencil on notebook paper.

Two accidents in the southwestern megacity of Chongqing last year killed 39 miners, prompting the central government to order another safety overhaul. – Associated Press