19 Chinese miners freed after week underground

THEIR faces black with coal dust, 19 miners trapped underground for a week were pulled to safety yesterday in northeastern China as rescuers searched for three missing colleagues.

Helmeted teams brought each man up on a stretcher, their faces blackened and their eyes covered to avoid damaging sun exposure after so long in the dark. The provincial governor greeted each and assured them rescue work was continuing.

“We are doing everything we can to save your colleagues,” Wang Xiankui said in footage shown on state broadcaster CCTV.