Five bodies recovered from flooded gold mine in N China

Rescuers work at the flooded Pingfang Gold Mine in
Beipiao, northeast China's Liaoning Province, May 4, 2009. Rescuers on May
9 recovered the bodies of the five workers trapped in the mine after a
five-day search, the rescue headquarters said. (Xinhua/Li Gang)
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SHENYANG, May 9 (Xinhua)
-- Rescuers on Saturday recovered the bodies of the five workers trapped in a
flooded gold mine in Liaoning Province after a five-day search, the rescue
headquarter said.

The bodies were found at 2:25 a.m. in a shaft about
550 meters underground, and had been taken to a funeral home, said Ning Jingmin,
head of the headquarters.

Rescuers have pumped 7,880 cubic meters of water from
the shaft at Pingfang Gold Mine, since it flooded on early on Monday.

Seven miners were working in the tunnel at the time
and two escaped.

An initial investigation by Liaoning Gold
Administration showed the flooding occurred when workers accidentally dug
through an adjacent discarded pit full of water.

The mine, in Beipiao City, is licensed and employs
300 people. The flooded shaft was under construction prior to production.

Ning, also vice head of the work safety supervision
administration of Chaoyang City, which administers Beipiao, said the
administration was investigating the accident and helping with the compensation
for the victims' families.

Rescuers work at the flooded Pingfang Gold Mine in
Beipiao, northeast China's Liaoning Province, May 4, 2009. Rescuers on May
9 recovered the bodies of the five workers trapped in the mine after a
five-day search, the rescue headquarters said. (Xinhua/Li Gang)
Photo Gallery