China hails 'miracle' as miners saved from flooded pit

As relatives celebrated the news, the men saved told of their horrific ordeal.

Some ate sawdust and strapped themselves to the walls with their belts to avoid drowning while they slept.

Tearful rescuers hugged each other at the pithead as the scene was broadcast live on national television.

The sudden surge in rescues was a rare piece of good news for China's mining industry, the deadliest in the world.

A rescue spokesman said 115 survivors had been pulled out as of 4.30pm local time (9.30 BST)

"A miracle has finally happened," he said after the first nine miners were taken out shortly after midnight. "We believe that more miracles will happen."

Accidents killed 2,631 coal miners in China last year, down from 6,995 deaths in 2002, the most dangerous year on record, according to official figures.

The Wangjialing mine in Shanxi province flooded after miners broke a wall into an abandoned shaft on March 28.

The first signs of life came on Friday, when tapping could be heard coming up the pipes. Divers first headed into the tunnels over the weekend but found high, murky water and emerged empty-handed.

As the water level continued to drop, rescuers with rubber rafts squeezed through the narrow, low-ceilinged passages late yesterday and pulled out the first nine survivors just after midnight. Eleven hours later, the large wave of rescues began.

The miners had spent eight days underground and some were soaked through. Some had hung from shaft walls by their belts for days to avoid falling into the water when asleep. Later, they climbed into a mining cart that floated by. One miner described eating sawdust and tree bark and drinking the murky water, the leader of one of the rescue teams, Chen Yongheng, told reporters.

As the rafts approached the first trapped miners, one of them asked, "Can you get me out of here?"

The survivors had hypothermia, severe dehydration and skin infections. Some also were in shock and had low blood pressure.

"This is probably one of the most amazing rescues in the history of mining anywhere," said David Feickert, a coal mine safety adviser.

A total of 153 workers had been trapped, and there was no word today on the 38 still underground.

Families were thrilled. "He called and managed to say my sister's nickname, 'Xiaomi,' so we know it's really him and that he's alive," said Long Liming, who said he received a call around mid-day from his rescued brother-in-law Fu Ziyang.

A doctor then took the phone and said Fu had to rest, Long said. "He was trapped underground for so long, so he's very weak. But we are very relieved to know that he made it out safely."

Officials said seven of the miners were in serious condition.

Some workers appeared to be trapped on upper platforms of the mine; their access to the entrance of the V-shaped shaft was blocked by water.