Water hampers search for trapped South Korean miners

December 12, 1996
Web posted at: 12:30 p.m. EST (1730 GMT)

SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- Rescue workers waded through water in near-freezing temperatures on Thursday searching for 11 miners trapped for nearly 36 hours after a roof collapsed at a coal mine in eastern South Korea, police said.

The death toll from the collapse stood at four, "but underground water is hampering our rescue efforts," a police spokesman said.

The roof collapsed about noon on Wednesday during blasting operations at the mine in Taebaek, about 125 miles (200 km) east of Seoul, in South Korea's main coal mining area of Kangwon Province. The blasting operation opened a breach in an underground lake, sending water streaming into the tunnel as well as tons of rubble.

Reuters contributed to this report.

 

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