Rescuers try to make contact with trapped miners at the explosion site of a gold mine in Qixia City, east China's Shandong Province, Jan. 18, 2021. A paper slip retrieved from underneath a mine said that 12 workers are still alive while the other 10 are in unclear situation, after they were trapped following a gold mine blast in east China's Shandong Province, according to local authorities.

Rescuers have sent bottled nutrients, medicines and bandages below ground and talked with trapped miners via phone in Qixia, East China's Shandong Province, local authorities announced at a press conference on Monday. 

Eleven miners are trapped at 350 meters deep and one is trapped at 400 meters deep. Another 10 miners are still missing, officials said.

The rescuers will keep communicating with the trapped miners, and searching for the missing ones with their help, according to the press conference. 

A rock layer formed from volcanic eruption is harder than the structure in many other mines and the aquifer also makes it difficult for rescuers to drill. Besides, the mounting water level makes the rescue mission urgent. 

Explosion debris and the intertwined power, water and communication channels also hinder the drilling work, officials said. 

Global Times