The death toll of the Wangjialing mine flood in Shanxi is now belived to be 17 with 21 miners still missing. From Xinhua:
Three more bodies were recovered Thursday afternoon after two were found in the morning.
Rescuers had restarted work in a shaft close to a disused mine which was suspended earlier due to flooding risks.
Hundreds of rescuers were forced to retreat when the shaft ceiling began to leak Thursday morning, said Liu Dezheng, spokesman of the headquarters.
The leaks had stopped Thursday afternoon.
Rescuers believed the disused mine full of water had caused the initial flood when broken into by workers.
See also from Time Magazine, “China and West Virginia: A Tale of Two Mine Disasters.” And China Media Project looks at the story behind the story of the heroic rescue workers.
