Forty of 56 workers trapped in a flooded coal mine in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province have now been plucked to safety, while rescuers are racing to reach the other 16. Water flooded the privately owned Anzhishun Coal Mine in the city of Jixi at 1:10 p.m. on Thursday when 56 workers were in the shaft, said Fang Dongchu, head of the city's work safety department. Twenty-five were still trapped early on Friday, but a further nine miners were lifted to the ground at about 10 a.m.. The rescued have been rushed to hospital for treatment, Xinhua reported. Fang said with the help of seven pumps, three professional rescue crews are working in four shifts a day, with 40 rescuers each shift. They are also digging a tunnel to reach the workers, he said.
