Rescue gives message of hope amid Halloween gloom
Two miners, who had been trapped in a collapsed zinc mine for more than nine days, were rescued miraculously late Friday night. The men, aged 62 and 56, were stranded 190 meters underground after part of the zinc mine they were working in collapsed Oct. 26 in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang Province. Both were able to walk out of the mine and were taken to a hospital.
Authorities said the miners survived by drinking water that dripped from the ceiling and eating instant coffee mix powder. They set up a tent using plastic materials and lit a small fire to keep warm. Recounting their dire moments in the tunnel in an interview after being rescued, one of the pair said they were most afraid that the batteries of the safety lights on their foreheads would die out.
The miners deserve high praise for consoling each other in difficult times and coming back safely from the crossroads of life and death. Their recollection that they never lost hope and did everything they could to find a way out is touching enough to give a message of hope to the nation mourning a deadly Halloween crowd crush that claimed more than 150 lives.
However, the miners' rescue should not overshadow the structural problems associated with the latest collapse in the mine. The mining company was criticized for waiting to report the accident to the fire authorities and notify the families that the miners were trapped underground.
Police should look into the cause of the mine collapse and focus on how and why the company did not report the accident immediately. The company was already under investigation for possible negligence that resulted in one death and one injury after a similar collapse in the mine Aug. 29. Questions arise over whether the company remained lax about safety even after going through a deadly accident. Certainly, it's time to raise the alarm about our overall insensitivity to safety.
Two miners, who had been trapped in a collapsed zinc mine for more than nine days, were rescued miraculously late Friday night. The men, aged 62 and 56, were stranded 190 meters underground after part of the zinc mine they were working in collapsed Oct. 26 in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang Province. Both were able to walk out of the mine and were taken to a hospital.
Authorities said the miners survived by drinking water that dripped from the ceiling and eating instant coffee mix powder. They set up a tent using plastic materials and lit a small fire to keep warm. Recounting their dire moments in the tunnel in an interview after being rescued, one of the pair said they were most afraid that the batteries of the safety lights on their foreheads would die out.
The miners deserve high praise for consoling each other in difficult times and coming back safely from the crossroads of life and death. Their recollection that they never lost hope and did everything they could to find a way out is touching enough to give a message of hope to the nation mourning a deadly Halloween crowd crush that claimed more than 150 lives.
However, the miners' rescue should not overshadow the structural problems associated with the latest collapse in the mine. The mining company was criticized for waiting to report the accident to the fire authorities and notify the families that the miners were trapped underground.
Police should look into the cause of the mine collapse and focus on how and why the company did not report the accident immediately. The company was already under investigation for possible negligence that resulted in one death and one injury after a similar collapse in the mine Aug. 29. Questions arise over whether the company remained lax about safety even after going through a deadly accident. Certainly, it's time to raise the alarm about our overall insensitivity to safety.
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