Miners found alive after 36 days trapped underground

Rescuers lifted four miners out of a collapsed gypsum mine in east China’s Shandong Province on Friday, 36 days after a cave-in trapped them underground.

The first of the four, who were all trapped at the same location, was lifted up at 21:20, and the last at 22:49. All of them looked calm when exposed to light for the first time in over a month.

The rescued miners displayed stable vital signs, but suffered some bruises, according to the doctors at the rescue site.

The miners were hospitalized one by one and brought to the intensive care unit for least 24 hours’ observation before being transferred to ordinary wards, said the doctors.

When the gypsum mine collapsed on Dec. 25, 2015, a total of 29 people were working underground. Eleven miners narrowly escaped while one was confirmed dead and 17 others were trapped.

The four rescued on Friday, who were among the 17 trapped underground, were found alive on the morning of Dec. 30. Authorities confirmed them to be in stable condition the next day.

So far 15 have been rescued from the collapse and 13 remain missing.