HANCHENG CITY, China, April 2 (UPI) -- Chinese officials said Friday a coal mine fire killed nine people and injured one, while signs of life were heard at a mine that flooded five days ago.
A Shaanxi Province official said 27 miners were underground Thursday at the Quanzigou Coal Mine in Hancheng City when the fire broke out at about 7 p.m., Xinhua, China's state-run news agency, reported Friday.
Nine miners died in the fire and one was rushed to a hospital. The remaining 17 miners were lifted to safety.
Meanwhile, Pan Zengwu, deputy chief of the Shanxi provincial coal geological bureau, said rescuers at the Wangjialing Coal Mine, where 153 workers were trapped by a flood at about 1:40 p.m. Sunday, heard sounds coming from the mine Friday believed to be survivors knocking on pipes.
Pan said the rescuers knocked in response and sent 300 bags of glucose down into the mine.
About 300 rescuers are working to pump water out of the pit to reach the surviving miners, Pan said.
