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Coal mine flood survivors to leave hospital next week

By Hou Lei (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-07-21 19:41

Three workers who miraculously survived after being trapped in a flooded mine for 25 days in southwest China's Guizhou province are expected to leave hospital next week, local media reported Tuesday.

The Xinqiao mine in Qinglong county flooded on June 17. The trapped workers were rescued on July 12. Two workers died in the accident.

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"The three workers have recovered, but they still need to stay in hospital for observation. They are expected to leave hospital at the end of this week or next week," said Yang Guohui, a doctor at the Affiliated Hospital of Guiyang Medical College.

Yang said now the workers’ kidneys were damaged, due to which they were passing up to 3,000 ml of urine every day as against the normal of 1,500 ml.

"We are making a treatment plan for them," Yang said.

Wang Quanjie, one of the three workers, who normally weighs around 65 kg, was less than 40 kg when rescued. Zhao, who had weighed more than 60 kg, was about 40 kg, an earlier China Daily report said.

The hospital said it treat the workers free of cost. "The cost of treatment for each person will come up to 2000-3000 yuan (US$293-439) a day, which these poor workers cannot afford," said Liang Xianquan, head of the hospital's emergency department.