RESCUERS have sent bottled nutrients, medicines and bandages below ground and talked with trapped miners via phone in Qixia, East China’s Shandong Province, local authorities announced at a press conference yesterday.

Eleven miners are trapped in one section and one is trapped in another. Another 10 miners are still missing, officials said.

The rescuers will keep communicating with the trapped miners, and searching for the missing ones with their help, according to the press conference.

The miners sent a note to rescuers Sunday shedding light on the situation.

“We are heavily exhausted and in urgent need of stomach medicine, painkillers, medical tape, external anti-inflammatory drugs, and three people have high blood pressure,” the note read.

It also warned there is a high concentration of smoke and a large amount of underground water where the miners are trapped.

“We hope the rescue continues and we will remain hopeful, thank you,” the note said.

The blast took place at 2 p.m. Jan. 10 at a gold mine in Qixia under Yantai City. It happened about 240 meters deep from the entrance. Twenty-two workers were working at a depth of more than 600 meters.

The rescuers drilled a channel Sunday afternoon, knocked on the drilling pipe, and got knocking sounds back in response. Later that day, rescuers said they felt people pulling the iron ropes used to deliver the nutrient solutions.

(Xinhua)