Dozens of Chinese miners trapped in a flooded pit for more than a week have been rescued and brought to the surface. The Wangjialing mine in Shanxi province flooded after miners broke a wall into an abandoned shaft on 28 March. So far 114 of the 153 missing miners have been rescued. The rescue is rare good news for the industry as Chinese mines are notorious for fatal accidents. The first survivors were brought to the surface shortly after midday on Sunday.
The workers were placed in waiting ambulances and their eyes covered to prevent damage from the light after spending about a week in darkness. Provincial governor Wang Jun said that "two miracles" had occurred. "The first is that these trapped people have made it through eight days and eight nights - this is the miracle of life. Secondly our rescue plan has been effective - this is a miracle in China's search and rescue history," he told China Central Television.
Liu Qiang, chief medical officer at the Linfen hospital in Shanxi province, said the miners were suffering from low body temperature, severe skin infection from staying in water for such a long period of time and severe dehydration. He said that some were still in shock from their experiences. A total of 153 people were said to have been trapped underground, but families say this is an underestimate as many more were working in the mine at the time. Earlier this week, a preliminary investigation found that officials had ignored water leaks prior to the accident. China, which relies heavily on coal to fuel its economy, has some of the most dangerous mines in the world. Most mining accidents in China are blamed on failures to follow safety rules.
These Chinese miners were lucky to have been found, unlike sailors in South Korea.
The South Korean military have called off a rescue operation for more than 40 sailors missing since a warship sank last week. The corvette Cheonan exploded and sank in unexplained circumstances off Baengnyeong Island, near the disputed maritime border with North Korea. In a subsequent tragedy, one person has died and eight others are missing after a fishing boat taking part in the search sank late on Friday, officials said. "We called off a rescue operation... at 11pm [1400 GMT Saturday] following the request from the relatives," the navy spokesman said. "From Sunday we will focus on salvaging the wreckage."A total of 58 people were rescued from the bow of the ship soon after it started sinking but efforts to find the missing 46 have been hampered by bad weather and strong currents. The South Korean press is full of speculation about the possible causes of the explosion that sunk the Cheonan. Theories include a deliberate attack by North Korea - a possibility not yet ruled out by the South. On Friday, South Korea's defence minister renewed speculation that a torpedo could have caused the blast that sank the ship. Whatever the cause may be, it is unlikely that the lost at sea sailors will be found.
Meanwhile in Nigeria, news that the - missing in action- President Umaru Yar’adua, has finally been sighted by others who are not members of his family. Senior Nigerian clerics have told the BBC they have met the country's ailing President, Umaru Yar'Adua, saying he had difficulty speaking. President Yar'Adua has been hidden from public view since he fell ill. He went to Saudi Arabia in November for treatment and, despite returning home recently, has not been seen in public. The clerics said he had been able to shake hands and alert to what had been happening during their prayer meeting. His absence created widespread alarm in Nigeria, a charged atmosphere seized Nigeria’s political world, and many people feared a coup. An ugly power struggle began between the president's allies, who fought to keep him in office, and those who wanted power handed to Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan. Shortly after Mr Jonathan was made acting president in February, Mr Yar'Adua was smuggled back into the country in an apparent attempt to grab back power. But it was too late - political support had shifted to the new acting president.
During the meeting he did not stand up or move about but shook hands with the clerics, raised his hands to join them in prayer and moved his lips to try to speak. The meeting is proof that that Yar’adua does exist because as there is a lot of speculation in the Nigerian press that the president was not even in the country and that the he may have even died. His term of office expires in May 2011. But amid the continuing uncertainty over his condition, it was announced last month that next year's presidential election could be brought forward by three months. The announcement of the meeting between the clerics and Yar’adua should be enough to lay to rest rumours of the missing President. It is official, he may have been lost, but like the Chinese miners he too has definitely been found. The only questionable matter is the issue surrounding the state of his health…
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