Still no sign of trapped miners

cctv.com 02-23-2006 09:18

Mexican rescue crews are still tunneling through soil and rock to find 65 miners trapped underground by a gas explosion on Sunday. As desperate family members look on, officials say they still have no information about the fate of the miners.

Volunteer rescue teams worked through the night - but they have yet to encounter any sign of the miners. They are telling family members to remain hopeful. The trapped men had been carrying only six hours of oxygen when the explosion happened about 180 meters underground. Experts think a ventilation system that uses huge fans to pump in fresh air and suck out dangerous gases is still working. Because of fears that electric or gas-powered machinery could spark more explosions, rescuers wearing gas masks and oxygen tanks are using picks and shovels to move tons of fallen soil, rock, wood and metal. Doctors are on site to examine rescue workers as they emerge from their eight-hour shifts in the tunnels.

Editor:Wang Ping  Source:CCTV.com