The rescue was a rare piece of good news for China’s mining industry. Rescuers have been pumping water out of the flooded mine for a week after miners tunneled into an old shaft, which inundated the mine. The first signs of life from underground came April 2, when tapping could be heard coming up the pipes. A total of 153 workers had been trapped and 12 had died. The status of the 26 miners unaccounted for was unclear as of press time. Chinese officials have already alleged negligence on the part of the mine owner, Huajin Coking Coal Co. The Wangjialing pit was overcrowded and the management did not evacuate workers despite reports of water inflow, according to regulators.
