JIXI, Heilongjiang - Relatives of the 13 trapped miners at the Jindi coal mine in Jixi city, Heilongjiang province, were taken underground to witness the progress of rescue work on Saturday.

This was an attempt by local officials to comfort relatives anxiously waiting for the latest information and praying for their loved ones.

Three of the 30 relatives waiting took up the offer and descended hundreds of meters into the mine in a cart, accompanied by head of the local safety bureau, Fang Dongxin.

"There are about 60 rescuers working underground and all the pumps are working continuously. I am sure they are trying their best," said one of three after coming back up to the ground.

Wang Baili was also among the three.

He was one of 11 lucky miners who escaped when the accident happened but later found out his brother was still trapped underground.

"I smelled something bad when I went up to get some tools. From my experience, I knew a flood may be coming so I ran with all my might," Wang said.

"I am so lucky, but my younger brother, Wang Baihe, is still underground. He was working at another place when the flood came, and he failed to escape."

Fang later said two of the three men would be joining the rescue team in the hopes that their experience in the mine would help rescuers.

For Wang, returning to help would hold special meaning.

"I hope I can find my brother and take him home," he said.

As of 8 pm on Saturday, 9,970 cubic meters of water had been drained from the mine. But the remaining 14,000 cubic meters still pose an enormous challenge.

Twenty-four miners were working underground when the flooding occurred on Tuesday afternoon. Eleven managed to escape.