Rescuers attempting to reach trapped miners

A work group has been dispatched by the Ministry of Emergency Management to oversee the rescue operation to reach 18 people trapped underground after a mine collapsed in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

The accident happened in a gold mine run by Western Region Gold Co in Ili Kazak autonomous prefecture at 1:40 pm on Saturday, while 40 workers were underground. Twenty-two miners were quickly brought to the surface.

The remaining 18 workers have been located and measures have been taken to improve ventilation in the mine shaft, said Lu Wei, chief safety officer of Xinjiang Nonferrous Metal Industry (Group) Co, the parent company of Western Region Gold Co.