12 Workers Trapped In China Mine Blast Are Alive

BEIJING (AP) – Chinese state media say 12 out of 22 workers trapped for a week after an explosion in a gold mine are alive. The Xinhua News Agency said a note passed through a rescue shaft Sunday night said the fate of the other ten remains unknown. The handwritten note said four of the workers were injured and that the condition of others was deteriorating because of a lack of fresh air and an influx of water. The mine in Shandong province had been under construction at the time of the blast on Jan. 10. Managers of the mine were detained after they failed to report the accident for more than a day in violation of safety regulations.