The third round of search operations for miners, who are still unaccounted for in a deadly coal mine gas explosion in north China's Shanxi Province on Friday, is currently underway, according to rescuers.
The accident occurred in the Liushenyu coal mine in Shanxi's Qinyuan County when 247 miners were working in the pit. As of 22:30 on Saturday, the explosion had left 82 dead, 128 injured and two missing, while the other 35 uninjured ones had returned home, according to a press conference on Saturday.
"Now we are engaging in the third round of search operations. We are conducting inch-by-inch search in the whole tunnel and mining area. In places of complicated conditions, we will continue searching after some repair work," said Zhang Chao, a rescuer.
"As of this morning, the air in the places that we could reach are fresh, with no toxic and hazardous gases. We could only probe forward to tell how much water is accumulated. The water is as high as our rain shoes, so we have to wear rain pants with shoes," said Yang Yang, another rescuer.
The complicated terrain in the pit has caused difficulty in rescue operations.
"The slope in the pit is steep and some areas are narrow, so we have to walk for a longer time, especially when carrying large equipment or even larger ones," said Zhang.
"Once we overcome the problems of water accumulation and collapse, we can continue search and rescue operations," said Yang.
Local authorities have set up 10 specific teams for follow-up work, including basic information verification, psychological care, and compensation matters.
Family members of victims have been accommodated in two hotels in Qinyuan, with psychological services offered to them. The teams have also given priority to the needs of vulnerable ones among the family members, such as those who live alone, have disabilities, or suffer from illness.
All injured miners have been sent to well-equipped Grade 3A hospitals (the highest-ranking hospitals in China) for treatment, and their vital signs are generally stable.
3rd round of search for missing ones in mine gas explosion underway in Shanxi
