At least 114 miners pulled from flooded shaft after rescue workers heard sounds confirming they were alive four days ago

This article is more than 10 years old

This article is more than 10 years old

More than 100 Chinese miners were rescued today after being trapped for over a week in a flooded coalmine.

Hundreds of rescue workers who had almost given up hope cheered and hugged each other as the first miners were taken out shortly after midnight. "A miracle has finally happened," a rescue spokesman, Liu Dezheng, told reporters.

A live state television broadcast counted the number of survivors brought above ground as 114, at 2.15 pm local time (6.15am GMT), as the first survivors wrapped in blankets were hurried to waiting ambulances that rushed to nearby hospitals.

The stream of rescued miners started about two hours later. Thousands of family members awaiting news and other onlookers stood along the road, bursting into applause as the ambulances sped by.

"This is probably one of the most amazing rescues in the history of mining anywhere," said David Feickert, a coal mine safety adviser to the Chinese government.

A total of 153 miners had been trapped for eight days in the unfinished Wangjialing mine in Xiangning, Shanxi province, after it filled with water last Sunday.

The government had mobilised 3,000 rescue workers to pump out water and search for the miners, but hopes of anyone emerging alive appeared slim until rescuers heard knocking on Friday. After frantic pumping the water level dropped low enough for rescue workers to enter the shaft.

Families of the survivors were thrilled. "He called and managed to say my sister's nickname, Xiaomi, so we know it's really him and that he's alive," said Long Liming, who said he received a call from his rescued brother-in-law Fu Ziyang.

A doctor then took the phone and said Fu had to rest, Long said. "He was trapped underground for so long, so he's very weak. But we are very relieved to know that he made it out safely."

It was unclear how deep into the mine the rescued workers had been found.

"The miners in the lowest levels will be in the most extreme danger," Feickert said. "Just think of a tall building, with people on different floors, if that suddenly filled up with water."

Some of the soaked miners had hung from shaft walls by their belts for days to avoid falling into the water when asleep. Hundreds of rescuers were underground amid hopes that glimpses of swinging lights and new tapping sounds meant that there were even more survivors.

Liu said the first batch of nine rescued miners were in stable condition. The state-run Xinhua news agency said all nine were conscious and could say their names and home towns, but their bodies had suffered from being soaked for so long. Television footage showed at least one miner being brought out barefoot.

Liu Qiang, a medical officer, said the survivors had hypothermia, severe dehydration and skin infections from being in the water so long. Some also were in shock and had low blood pressure.

A preliminary investigation last week found that the mine's managers ignored water leaks before the accident, the state administration of work safety said.

China's coalmines are the world's deadliest. Last year 2,631 miners in China died in accidents – down from 6,995 deaths in 2002, which was the most dangerous year on record according to the state administration of coalmine safety.