China Iron Mine Accident: Rescue efforts underway to save 6 trapped miners

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01:58

Rescue operations continue in China's northeastern Xunke county, where a group of people remain missing following a mine collapse. Two of the eight trapped miners have been rescued so far. Our reporter Feng Yilei reports from the scene.

One and then another. Two more miners trapped in the iron ore mine have weathered the crisis. It comes after two days of tough battles to save those caught in the flooded tunnels. While the two latest survivors are under care in the hospital, big challenges lie ahead for rescuers to save the six still missing. Newly dispatched rescue teams have relieved their counterparts.

XU HUI, RESCUER HEGANG MINE RESCUE TEAM "We drained the water away and passed through, but were caught in waist-high sludge. We crawled ahead, but were too exhausted to move any farther."

Several kilometers away, rescuers and dozens of pumpers have been working round the clock to drain the leakage source. Falling water levels in the diverted river laid the foundation for feasible rescue attempts. But the continued rain could change all that.

ZHU HAIZHOU RESCUE EXPERT "We have to suspend rescue operations on this route due to the risk of a secondary collapse. We will observe the situation and move on to the next step after the heavy rain stops. We've searched all the areas that we could. The rest of the people may have been buried or injured and it will take more time and effort to search for them."

FENG YILEI XUNKE COUNTY, HEILONGJIANG PROVINCE "According to the latest action plan from the emergency command team's expert - Clearing mud from the blocked tunnel and preventing further leakage at the point of collapse. They will continue working on finding the best plan to locate the remaining six and bring them to safety. Feng Yilei, CGTN, Xunke county in Heilongjiang Province."