Rescuers carry a miner who was found after they dug a tilted tunnel to reach one of the vertical shafts out of the flooded iron ore mine near Baotou, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Jan. 18, 2007. Rescuers on Thursday found six of the 35 miners trapped in the flooded iron ore mine. (Xinhua Photo)   Photo Gallery>>>

BAOTOU, Inner Mongolia, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Rescuers on Thursday freed six of the 35 miners trapped in a flooded iron ore mine near Baotou, in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

    Rescuers said they had made contact with five more miners trapped underground.

    All the rescued miners, who were rushed to the Central Hospital of Baotou, had regained consciousness and eaten noodles, Sun Xiuli, the on-duty doctor at the hospital, told Xinhua.

    "Before health checks, we gave emergency treatment to the miners, including oxygen and liquid nutrient injections," said Sun. "The miners showed normal life signs and luckily, they suffered no injuries in the accident."

    Sun said the rescued miners were fed noodles with the help of medical workers around 1:00 p.m..

    One of the rescued miners, Ye Decheng, a native of Jingyuan County, in neighboring Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, recalled that when the slurry flow started, he and his colleagues fled to higher ground.

    "I was so scared, but somehow I believed people outside would come to our rescue," said Ye.

    When the six miners were pulled out, their clothes were dry because they had taken refuge on an unsubmerged platform in one of the vertical shafts, said rescuers.

    The miners were found after the rescuers dug a sloping tunnel to reach the vertical shaft.

    "We are told that the other five miners are squatting above a head frame structure, and we're trying our best to reach them," said a rescuer.

    The flood occurred shortly after midnight on Wednesday at Haolaigou Iron Ore Mine in Donghe District, near the city of Baotou, when 46 miners were changing shifts. Only 11 miners escaped, according to rescue headquarters.

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