2010-04-08 16:24

URUMQI - Rescuers retrieved a body Thursday from a coal mine that collapsed nine days ago in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region but nine other miners are still missing.

Twenty-one workers were in the shaft when the accident happened at about 11:20 am on March 30 at the Shajihai Coal Mine in the Mongolian Autonomous County of Hoboksar, and 11 were lifted safely to the ground.

Rescuers found the body of He Jianguang, 40, from the northern Hebei province, at about 6:45 am, a county government spokesman said.

No signs of life had been detected in the shaft, where the collapsed site was as deep as 700 meters, but rescuers would continue their search, the spokesman said.

The geological structure underground was very loose and cave-ins had occasionally occurred as underground water had been gushing into the shaft, which made the search difficult, he said.

The Shajihai Coal Mine, which is under construction and owned by the Luneng Coal-Electricity Development Co Ltd, is designed to have an annual output capacity of 900,000 tons. Construction started in June last year and it is expected to be in operation in October next year.