Death Toll Rises to 36 in Flooded Mine, 2 Missing
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One more body was retrieved from a coal mine that was flooded two weeks ago in north China's Shanxi Province, bringing the death toll to 36, rescue headquarters said Tuesday morning.
Rescuers are searching for two others who are believed still trapped underground at Wangjialing Coal Mine, which straddles Xiangning County, of Linfen City, and Hejin City, of Yuncheng City, according to the rescue headquarters.
Altogether 261 miners were working in the shaft of the coal mine, which is under construction, when the flooding happened at about 1:40 p.m. March 28, and only 108 were lifted unharmed to the surface.
A total of 115 miners were rescued alive on April 5 after being trapped for more than a week underground.
The survivors had all been "out of life-threatening danger" and in stable conditions, according to Shanxi's Health Bureau.
The rescued miners are receiving medical treatment in five hospitals in Hejin and Taiyuan cities.
(Xinhua News Agency April 13, 2010)