China sends down milk to keep 69 miners alive

BEIJING, July 31 (Reuters) Chinese rescuers siphoned 400 kg of milk to 69 coal miners trapped underground for more than two days, hoping it will keep them alive while rescuers struggle to pump out flood waters, state media said today.

The milk was sent down a ventilation pipe to the men trapped in a mine in central China, state television reported.

The miners have been trapped since Sunday morning, after a flash flood surged through an old shaft about 200 km west of Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province.

China's coal industry is the world's deadliest, killing an average of 13 people a day last year. Dramatic efforts to save this group have ignited widespread media attention.

Medical experts calculated how much nutrition the men would need and then borrowed the ventilation shaft to send the right amount of milk shooting 800 metres beneath the surface, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

''It has won time for rescue efforts and has boosted confidence among the trapped miners and rescuers,'' Xinhua said.

China Central Television (CCTV) showed pictures of officials asking the trapped workers how they felt after drinking the milk by telephone. Milk is not a staple drink for most Chinese.

Rescuers plan to send down other liquids to help replenish salts as soon as possible, CCTV said.

Rescuers have been trying to install more water pumps to remove the flood water, caused by heavy rain, but progress has not been smooth because of fresh downpours and the narrow passages, CCTV said.

Floods this summer have killed about 700 people nationwide.

REUTERS RJ PM1120