115 trapped Chinese miners rescued

Xiangning, China (AP) - Rescue teams this morning saved the lives of 115 Chinese miners who were trapped in a flooded northern China mine for 8 days.

The miners are described by emergency crews as weak, dehydrated, malnourished and with unstable vital signs. There are none in critical condition though 26 appear to be in worse condition than the others.

The miners got trapped March 28 when they accidentally dug into an already flooded mine. There was no sign that miners were alive until April 2nd when rescuers heard tapping on a metal pipe that came from deep underground. Rescuers sent milk, glucose, and letters of encouragement down the pipe to sustain the trapped miners. Until then, the miners stayed alive by eating tree bark and sawdust.

Emergency teams are still trying to reach another 38 miners trapped in the Wangjialing mine, but authorities are calling this rescue a "miracle" for China's mining industry, which is considered the deadliest in the world.