6 Freed from Mine in Inner Mongolia, 29 Still nderground

内蒙古矿井六人获救，二十九人仍在井下

Chinese state media says rescuers have freed six of 35 miners trapped in a flooded iron ore mine in Inner Mongolia. The official Xinhua news agency says emergency workers are in contact with another five miners but that 24 others remain unaccounted for.

The accident occurred early Wednesday in the city of Baotou, Inner Mongolia region. Flooding of three vertical shafts trapped the miners as they changed shifts. Rescuers told Xinhua that the six pulled out had taken refuge on an unsubmerged platform. Workers dug a sloping tunnel to reach them. The report says the six rescued miners appear to be in good condition.

China's mines are considered among the most dangerous in the world. Floods, fires, cave-ins, and other calamities killed nearly five-thousand miners last year.

中国媒体报导说，内蒙古因透水事故而被困在一铁矿矿井下的35名矿工中的6人获救。官方的新华社说，紧急救援工作人员与另外5名矿工也取得了联系，但是还有24人依然下落不明。

星期三早上的事故发生在内蒙古包头市。三个竖井发生透水，把正在换班的工人困在井下。救援人员对新华社说，6名获救的矿工躲在了一个没有被淹没的平台上。救援人员挖出一个斜井将他们救出。报导说，6名矿工看上去状态良好。

中国矿井被认为是世界上最危险的。透水、火灾、塌陷以及其他事故去年造成近5000人丧生。