THE physical condition of 11 trapped gold miners in East China’s Shandong Province has improved after they received nutritious supplies, rescuers said.

A miner’s head injury has been bandaged, and two miners who were very weak are now able to walk, according to Song Xicheng, a member of the rescue and medical team at the site.

The fourth batch of the nutrient solution was delivered to the miners Tuesday morning, in addition to millet congee, thermometers and blankets. Counselors have been in place to boost the miners’ confidence, said Song.

Twenty-two miners have been trapped underground following a mine blast on Jan. 10 in Qixia under Yantai City.

Eleven of the miners were found Sunday through a drilled channel. They had a phone conversation with rescuers on Monday after a wired telephone was installed underground through the channel.

The conversation revealed that 11 miners were stuck in one section of the gold mine and one person in another, while the whereabouts of the other ten workers are still unknown.

The National Mine Safety Administration has ordered a comprehensive inspection of the country’s noncoal mines to forestall major accidents.

According to a directive issued recently by the administration, the campaign will last till the end of March, with efforts focusing on preventing the occurrence of severe accidents including collapses in mined-out areas and explosions.

Noncoal mine enterprises failing to comply with rectification orders despite repeated prohibitions will be named and shamed and face penalties imposed through inter-departmental coordination.

In recent years, the workplace safety situation of mines in China has been steadily improving. But the sector still faces safety risks given the huge number of scattered mines, many of which are small and ill-equipped, according to an official with the safety watchdog. (Xinhua)