3 miners trapped for 25 days rescued

BEIJING, July 13 (UPI) -- Rescuers in China found three miners alive after being trapped underground for more than three weeks in a flooded coal mine.

Li Xingwei said he and his crew Sunday had cleared a tunnel blocked by the disaster when workers saw a light, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported Monday.

"We crept along the tunnel in excitement, seeing someone sitting in front," Li said.

He Minghua, a doctor with the People's Hospital of Qinglong, who examined the miners, said the three were conscious, and their vital signs were good.

One of the rescued miners, Wang Quanjie, said the men drank water found in the shaft that also had enough good air to survive, Xinhua said.

Rescuer He Sijun said the survivors' collective spirit also was important.

"They were experienced," he said. "They tried to save their energy and firmly believed that they would be saved ultimately."

The Xinqiao Coal Mine in Qinglong County flooded June 17 while 16 miners were working. The first body was found June 25 and the search for the remaining missing miners continued.